Castlevania: Dracula's Curse
by wareagle884
Summary: A novelization of Castlevania III. Stretches from the first meeting of Dracula and Lisa all the way to the game's final climatic battle in the Castle Keep and the events after.
1. A Rose With Petals of Blood

**Castlevania: Dracula's Curse**

**Hello everyone and welcome to my second work of fanfiction! This time I will be writing a novel adaptation of the Konami classic **_**Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse. **_**This is a labor of love for me because the Castlevania series is one of my favorites ever and CV3 happens to be one of my favorites of the series. I have tried my best to stay true to the Castlevania timeline but there will be some events and characters that you will read about that are purely my own imagination. This is my imagining of how Castlevania III happened. For the most part though, the story is the same. No major changes have been made. **

**Before I forget, I do not own **_**Castlevania**_** or any of the characters associated with the series. It would be awesome if I did though.**

**With that said, I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 1 – A Rose With Petals of Blood

"Where are you going Lisa?"

Lisa turned at the sound of the old man's voice. "Oh, pardon me sir," she answered politely. "I am going out into the forest to collect herbs. I should be back before nightfall."

"You're going by yourself? At this hour?" he asked, concerned.

Lisa smiled back at him. "I should be fine Mayor, thank for your concern though." Her voice had a certain gentleness to it, yet it was also firm and confident. The mayor nodded and turned to walk back towards the town.

"Well, do be careful Lisa. There are so many dangers out there now, especially with these reports lately of strange creatures wandering through the woods. I don't know what we would do if anything should happen to you."

"I shall be careful." she said.

With that, Lisa gripped her basket firmly in her hands and stepped off into the forest that surrounded her tiny hometown.

Lisa Farenheights was a young woman that was loved by all in her community. Her beauty and graceful presence had made her very popular with young and old, male and female, alike. Children often begged her to play with them and no matter how busy she was Lisa would find the time to do it. Whenever someone needed assistance with something, Lisa would do all she could to help, no matter how far out of her own way she had to go. The young men of the town often tried to court her, but while many had tried, no one had yet captured her heart.

What made Lisa most popular with the townspeople though was her talent for the healing arts. Even from a young age, Lisa showed a gift for producing medicines from different herbs and vegetation, and with things being the way they were, a healer was a good person to have. Lately many of the townsfolk had reported seeing or hearing strange things in the night. There were rumors of a wild beast running amok in the forest, and there was even a rumor of a murder in a neighboring village. All of this had the people quite upset and worried.

But on this particular day, with the sun sinking low in the sky, the concerns of the town were far from Lisa's mind as she walked deeper and deeper into the Wallachian forest. For her, taking these trips into the woods to gather herbs was a way of clearing her mind and finding some time to herself. They gave her a chance to relax and focus on her gift of medicine. She had waited until this late hour to go because she had been extra busy with work on her family's farm. It wasn't until now that she had been able to get away.

_I'm afraid I won't have any more time tomorrow either. It's best that I gather my herbs now._

After walking for some time, Lisa found herself at one of her favorite places for gathering herbs. She bent down and began to pluck various plants out of the ground and place them into her basket. As she worked, she hummed quietly and it wasn't long before she became completely lost in her activity and unaware of how much time had passed.

"Do you always pick flowers so late?"

The voice startled Lisa. Turning towards the sound, she found a man standing there watching her work. Upon looking around she saw that it was indeed quite late. The sun had dipped down below the horizon and the evening was quickly turning into night.

"Oh my, I must have gotten too caught up in my work. I didn't realize it had gotten so late." Lisa said. The man smiled at her and offered to help her up. Lisa took his hand and stood to her feet. "Thank you." she said, "And what is your name kind sir? Why are you out here so late?"

The man gazed at her with deep black eyes. "My name is Mathias Cronqvist. I am…visiting…from another country. I was out taking a walk in your forest when I happened to find you here. I certainly wasn't expecting to meet anyone else but I thought that I would introduce myself."

"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Cronqvist." Lisa replied.

"It is a pleasure for me also, my lady. What is your name?" Mathias replied.

"Lisa…Lisa Farenheights."

It was difficult to not admire the man's handsome features. Lisa found herself trying not to blush as he smiled at her. Mathias had long, black hair that cascaded down over his shoulders. He was a tall man, dressed in a long black coat, white shirt, and dark pants. He was pale skinned, but it only served to accentuate his already dark eyes.

"You enjoy taking walks in the forest at sunset?" Lisa asked.

Mathias looked around him as he contemplated his response. "There is something special about the night, something that most men fail to understand. I, however, am not one of those men. In truth, it is the only time I feel alive." he said with a smile.

Lisa looked at him in wonder.

"The sun will be gone soon and you might find it quiet difficult to get through these woods. Please, allow me to escort you back to your home."

Lisa nodded and put her arm around his as he offered it to her.

It wasn't long before the two found themselves back at town. Mathias seemed very adept at navigating through the woods, even in darkness. Lisa commented on this. "You seem quite skilled at finding your way around in the forest, even with it being night. Are you a hunter or woodsman of some sort?" Mathias chuckled to himself. "You could say that. I'm a hunter of sorts. I hunt…a certain kind of prey."

"And what would that be?" Lisa asked.

"I might tell you sometime." he replied with a mischievous grin.

Lisa smiled at him again.

"Thank you for escorting me Mr. Cronqvist. It is now night though. We have an inn here at the town if you would like to stay." Lisa said. Mathias shook his head. "Thank you but I should be fine. It isn't far back to my home and, as you mentioned, I am quite comfortable in the forest, even at night."

Lisa nodded and gave a faint laugh.

"Well then, thank you again Mr. Cronqvist and good night."

"Good night to you Ms. Farenheights and please…call me Mathias."

With a smile on his face, the man turned and made his way back into the forest. Lisa watched as he moved farther and farther in until he finally disappeared from site.

"Lisa! Lisa, is that you!?"

It was her father. "Yes father, it is me!"

Martin Farenheights came running up and stopped beside his daughter. "Where have you been? Your mother and I were worried about you."

"I apologize father." she replied. "I became caught up in my search for herbs and lost track of the time. Everything is fine though. This nice gentleman found me and escorted me back here."

"Really? Well where is he? I would like to meet him." Martin said, looking around.

"He has already left, I'm afraid. His name was Mathias Cronqvist. He said that he was a visitor from another country. He was very nice father, and had no trouble helping me get back here."

Martin looked around for a bit longer and then turned back to Lisa. "Well, if you should ever find him again please introduce me to him. Right now, let's go home. It's time for bed!"

Lisa and her father began to make their way to the Farenheights home. As they walked, Lisa found herself looking back, hoping to catch just one more glimpse of the handsome stranger.

What she did not know was that from the woods those same dark eyes were watching her, only this time they were absent of any kindness or gentility. They watched until she and her father disappeared behind their front door, and then they quietly vanished into the night.

The next day Lisa found her thoughts wandering again and again to Mathias.

_He seems like such a kind man, and handsome as well. I wonder if I will see him again?_

The morning went on as usual for her. Lisa assisted her mother Gwendolyn in preparing meals and making clothes for the family. Morning soon became afternoon and afternoon faded into evening.

As the sun started to sink below the horizon Lisa began to think about going out into the woods again, secretly hoping that somehow Mathias would be there. Once she got away from her parents, she walked to the edge of town and looked into the forest. However, she saw nothing.

_It is already late. Besides, what are the chances that he would be there again?_

Disappointed, she turned to walk back into town.

"You shouldn't give up so easily. Good things come to those who wait."

Lisa spun around and gasped.

There he was, dressed in the same outfit that he was wearing yesterday, and with that same kind smile adorning his face below his deep dark eyes. Lisa gave a quiet laugh and smiled. "I wasn't expecting you to be here. I'm afraid you surprised me."

Mathias nodded. "I wanted to come back and make sure everything was alright after yesterday. I know how families can be about their children wandering off after the sun sets."

"Oh everything is fine, I assure you." Lisa responded. Having Mathias here again was a delight to the young lady. Seeing her opportunity, she decided to pursue a relationship with this stranger. "You must come back and visit us in the daytime Mathias. There isn't much socializing we can do at this time of night. Besides, my father has said that he would like to meet you after I told him you escorted me back last night."

Mathias's smile faded and for a moment he stared off into the distance. Lisa sensed that something was wrong. "I'm sorry, did I say something to offend you?" she asked. "No, no…" Mathias quickly replied. "It's just that I'm…_occupied_ during the day. It makes it difficult for me to get out."

"Oh…" Lisa nodded her head, genuine disappointment written on her face. Mathias quickly continued. "However, I have another idea. That place in the woods, where you were picking the herbs last night, let's meet there. Let's make that our place."

"Alright." Lisa said, somewhat surprised. "When shall we meet?"

Mathias thought for a second. "We shall gather there when the sun first sinks below the horizon, when early nightfall is upon us." His words came quickly and were filled with excitement.

Lisa grinned. "Then tomorrow I will be waiting for you."

"Wonderful. I will see you then, but now I must go. Goodbye Lisa."

"Goodbye Mathias."

With those parting words Mathias quickly disappeared back into the forest. Lisa watched as he faded into the darkness and then returned to her own home as well.

For the next few days, just like they had agreed, Mathias and Lisa met every evening where the herbs grew in the forest. It quickly became known to them as "our place." Their time together was short, but every moment they could spend with each other was cherished. They became friends, but both could sense that a deeper bond was growing between them. Mathias told her stories of countries he had been to, people he had met, and all sorts of other things he had seen and done. Lisa was mesmerized by his tales, enraptured at the thought of being able to do and see some of these things herself one day. She found him fascinating and it became more and more difficult with each conversation to leave him.

One morning Lisa awoke to find her little town abuzz with startling news. Word had quickly spread around town that a local farmer had found a body in the woods, completely drained of blood. The townsfolk were not accustomed to things like this, and they were understandably shaken by this unsettling development.

"It must have something to do with those things appearing in the woods." one person said.

"That's right!" said another. "Stay clear of the woods! Who knows what's creeping around out there?"

Lisa's thoughts immediately turned to Mathias. Would he be safe trekking through the forest at night?

Would she be safe going to meet him?

The news of this terrible murder only made Martin and Gwendolyn wonder more where their daughter was sneaking off to each night, as she would only tell them that she was going to meet a friend. Finally, that evening, as Lisa was preparing to leave, he father came to her with a very concerned look on his face. "Lisa, I want to know who it is that you have been seeing these past few nights. This murder in the woods has me shaken and I want to know just who this is you have become so fascinated with lately."

Lisa hated to tell her father that it was a man she had been seeing in secret. However, she hated lying to him even more.

"I have been meeting with Mr. Cronqvist these past few nights. You remember him don't you father? He's the visitor from another country. He's most interesting. He has told me stories of his travels and of the many things that he has seen and done."

Martin Farenheights frowned. "You've been sneaking off at night to see a man? If this Mr. Cronqvist has taken such an interest in you then why hasn't he come to our home like a respectable person? What's gotten into you Lisa? You know that it's shameful for a young lady like yourself to be wandering off into the woods at night to see a man! If Mr. Cronqvist wants to continue this relationship, then he should come to meet us. I forbid you to leave this house tonight! As a matter of fact, stay out of the woods altogether!" With that, her father stormed off.

Lisa thought about saying something back. Anger boiled up in her. She wanted to tell him what a kind, gentle, and honorable soul Mathias was, but she knew that it wouldn't change anything.

Despite her father's order, and knowing that it would cause her even more trouble, Lisa snuck out of her house that night and ran to meet Mathias. When she arrived she found the man leaning against a tree, his eyes directed at the ground.

"Mathais I-"

His head suddenly jerked up and his eyes bore into her. He reached out and seized her with both hands.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!? WHY HAVE YOU KEPT ME WAITING!?"

Lisa gasped in surprise. His outburst of anger had been instantaneous. For a moment his voice was filled with terrible wrath and his dark eyes seemed to glow a fiery red.

Suddenly coming to himself, Mathias released her and looked at his own hands in horror.

"I…I apologize. I was only concerned about your safety. I didn't know if something might have happened to you. Please forgive me.

Mathias bowed his head to her. Lisa looked at him, still somewhat in shock at his actions. "…I forgive you Mathias."

The young lady then lowered her head as a sad look came over her face. "There's something I must speak with you about."

Mathias looked up. "What? What is it?"

"Have you heard about the man that was found in the forest this morning? He was dead and his body was drained of all its blood." Mathias seemed to freeze where he stood. For a moment an agitated look appeared on his face, but it was quickly replaced by a look of concern.

"I had not heard that. What happened?"

"I do not know." Lisa replied. "The men suspect it was some sort of beast that attacked him. Ever since the body was found everyone has been scared. My father forbade me to go into the woods anymore, but I had to come see you Mathias. I had to make sure you were alright. I will most certainly be punished when he finds out I am gone."

Mathias stared towards the direction of the town. "Some sort of beast…" he muttered under his breath.

Lisa continued, "I do not want to forsake our meeting here Mathias, but I am concerned about our safety and with respecting my father's wishes. Who knows what this thing is that has been prowling through the woods? I do not want something to happen you."

"I assure you Lisa, there is no need to worry about me. I am quite capable of protecting myself. It is your safety that I am most concerned with. As for your father, if it is your wish, then I shall come to your home and meet him."

Lisa smiled at him.

"Ah! I almost forgot!" she said.

"What?" Mathias replied.

Lisa reached down into a pouch tied to her waist.

"I have something I would like to give you. It has always brought me good fortune. It belonged to my mother before me. When I became seventeen years old she then passed it to me. She told me that it was mine to keep or to give to whoever I choose."

Lisa's closed fist emerged from the pouch.

"I want you to have it."

"What is it?" Mathias said.

Lisa smiled as she opened up her hand to reveal a small silver cross.

Mathias looked down at the holy symbol.

And recoiled in terror.

He let out a roar and knocked the object out of Lisa's hands. The young lady watched in shock as Mathias kicked dirt over the cross, covering it with earth. He then bent over, holding his head as if he were in great pain.

"Mathias what are you-"

His head shot up and he grabbed her arm.

"HOW DARE YOU!"

Lisa looked at him and screamed in horror. Mathias's face had changed. His eyes shined a blazing red and his canine teeth had stretched into sharp fangs.

Seeing her terrified reaction, Mathias realized what he had done. He released his grip on her. Lisa immediately turned and fled into the forest, running as fast as her legs would carry her.

"Lisa! Wait! Stop!" he called.

Lisa only ran faster, adrenaline pumping through her body. However, it was only seconds before Mathias caught up to her. Like the wind, he flew in front of her and seized her shoulders.

"Let me go! Let me go!" she screamed.

"Be quiet!" Mathias said in a forceful whisper. He then clamped his hand over her mouth. Lisa looked up into his burning eyes and watched as they slowly reverted back to their normal dark color. Mathias's fangs disappeared as well, shrinking back to normal human teeth. The man lowered his head as if he were ashamed of himself.

"I must explain this to you."

He looked her in the eyes again. "I will release you, but you must promise not to run or scream!"

Mathias then slowly pulled his hand away from Lisa's mouth and watched as she backed away from him until she bumped against a tree behind her.

Mathias took a deep breath. "I am not human Lisa…at least, not anymore. There was a time many years ago when I was just like you. I was a normal man, happy, with good friends and a woman that I loved more than life itself. But then…" Mathias's voice trailed off. A wave of sadness passed over his face before he spoke again.

"I lost everything…I lost _her_. It wasn't long after that that I became what you see now. Ever since that day I have wandered the earth an outcast. I have gone from place to place, country to country, searching for a new home, but no matter where I go, I am considered nothing more than a monster."

Lisa stared at him, unable to move or speak.

"I am a vampire."

Lisa had heard stories about vampires. They drained the blood of the living in order to prolong their own unnatural life. Everything she had ever heard about them presented them as horrible monsters capable of nothing but death and destruction.

"That man that was found in the forest…did you kill him?"

Mathias sighed. It was clear he didn't want to answer her question.

"Yes, I killed him. I bit him and drank of his blood. I was doing what I have to in order to survive. I did not enjoy taking the man's life." he insisted.

Lisa's mind was racing. She felt lost in a maze of confusion, hoping for any type of sign to point her in the right direction. Everything she had been told about vampires said that they were demons from hell, yet, what she saw in front of her did not fit that description. Mathias was a kind and gentle soul. Until now she had never been given any reason to fear him.

"Mathias…"

Lisa cautiously stepped toward him.

"Why have you not bitten me yet? You have had ample opportunity to do so."

Mathias looked her in the eyes.

"It's because…"

His voice faltered. He debated within himself about whether or not he should say his next words.

Finally, he could hold back no longer.

"I am in love with you."

All at once Lisa felt a surge of mixed emotions. This man was not a man at all, but a creature of the night. Yet, he was also the most charming, handsome, and fascinating creature that she had ever come across. She could not deny that in the time that she had known him that she had also developed strong feelings for him.

Lisa searched within herself for a response. Her heart wanted to say one thing but her brain was telling her another. Inside, she heard a voice.

_If you take this man into your life he will bring you nothing but despair._

However, that voice quickly fell silent.

"I…"

She hesitated, but then took a deep breath and continued.

"I am in love with you to."

Mathias's eyes lit up, not the angry red they were before, but with a joyful sparkle. He reached out and embraced her, holding her in his arms.

Lisa rested her head against Mathias's chest.

_I find it so hard to believe that this is the same person that killed that man in the forest. Even if he is a vampire, I can still see good in him. Maybe I can help him. Maybe one day I can help cure him of his condition._

Lisa looked up into his eyes.

"Mathias, how will we be together? If any should find out about you..."

Mathias gazed into her eyes and spoke with determination in his voice.

"It will be alright Lisa. Please trust in me. Trust in my love."

Lisa became quiet and again embraced him. She wanted desperately to be with Mathias, but deep down in the depths of her heart she could not feel at ease. She had declared her love to a creature of the night, a being that was hated by all mankind.

There was no good that could come of this.

Lisa stared into the nighttime forest as Mathias held her close.

_God in Heaven…what have I done?_

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. A Beast That Thirsts For Blood

**Castlevania: Dracula's Curse**

Chapter 2: A Beast That Thirsts For Blood

The next evening Mathias did exactly as he said he would and went with Lisa to see her mother and father for the first time. At first Martin Farenheights was none too excited to meet this man his daughter had been sneaking off to see, especially when she disobeyed his direct command to not leave the house. His behavior towards him was almost downright rude. Her mother, while sharing her father's feelings, was a little more restrained, and tried her best to be civil to the "young" man. Mathias took all of this in stride and only smiled at Lisa as he began to converse with her parents and change his image.

Lisa watched in amazement as this took place. It did not take long at all before Mathias's charm and charisma won them over. It was as if he could read their minds, always knowing exactly what to say to get a laugh or cause them to raise an eyebrow. He answered each question with calmness and sincerity and soon both Martin and Gwendolyn were feeling at ease.

They also found his stories of foreign lands fascinating. At one point Gwendolyn said to her daughter "I'm glad that you've met such a well-traveled and cultured gentleman!" Lisa watched in awe as her parent's mood shifted from standoffish and suspicious to warm and loving. She wondered if this change had to do with Mathias's vampiric powers or if he had just become that adept at winning people over.

After Mathias had left them that night Martin went to his daughter and, with a smile, put his arm around her. "My dear, I believe I was wrong about that man. He certainly does seem to be a fine upstanding gentleman. Please forgive me for being rude towards him earlier."

Lisa smiled and hugged him.

"Of course father. Do you see now what kind of man Mathias is?"

"I do." he answered. "He seems remarkable indeed."

Lisa laughed to herself.

_If you only knew how remarkable Father…_

Over the next few weeks Mathias continued his visits to the Farenheights family. His relationship with them was set and Martin and Gwendolyn soon thought of him more as a son than anything else.

One night Lisa had returned to the forest to meet Mathias as they usually did. When she arrived she found Mathias standing there, dressed in much more formal attire than usual.

"Why are you dressed that way?" she asked, smiling.

Mathias turned at the sound of her voice.

"I have something very important I want to ask you Lisa. I thought my attire should reflect that."

Lisa watched as he slowly walked over to her and took her hand.

"Lisa, I have walked this earth for centuries alone. When my wife Elisabetha died, I thought that I would never love anyone again. But you Lisa….you have stirred something in me that I have not felt for so long. I do not see the vices in you that consume so many others. Instead, I see kindness, gentleness, and love. You are indeed an amazing woman. That is why…"

Mathias looked down for a moment, as if he were summoning all the courage in his body. He then raised his eyes and gazed deeply into hers.

"That is why I want to ask you to be my wife…"

"Will you marry me Lisa?"

Lisa was stunned. In the back of her mind she had suspected that Mathias would one day ask her this question, but now the moment was here and her mind was reeling. Ten thousand thoughts and emotions flew through her consciousness as she tried to sort out what she should do. Under normal circumstances, she would have said yes without a second thought. However, these were far from normal circumstances. Mathias was a vampire. In her mind she tried to imagine what life with him would be like. She would not see him during the day. Their only time together would be at night, when she would be tired. Would they even be able to have children together?

Suddenly all the doubts, fears, and worries crept into her soul and for a brief moment her mind screamed for her to tell him no and run away as fast she could.

But…

Deep down Lisa could not deny the reality that she did love him. He was the most amazing man that she had ever met and she wanted nothing more than to be with him. She had made the decision already. She had made the decision to try to help him. Perhaps she could be the one to ease his pain and free him from this condition that doomed him to eternal night.

"Yes."

Her answer was firm and confident.

"Yes, I would love to marry you."

Mathias broke out into a grin that spelled both happiness and relief. He embraced her and for the first time their lips met in a kiss.

Lisa knew right then that she had set her destiny and it could not be changed.

For better or worse, in sickness and in health, they would be husband and wife, and only by death would they part.

They made the decision to elope, as trying to explain why they could not hold a traditional wedding to Lisa's parents would be far too difficult. A ceremony held in the day time would be impossible and 

Mathias could not stand to be near a church either. For them, nothing would be conventional. There would be no ceremony. There was only the declaration of their love, and nothing else.

The next night, Lisa quietly gathered all her belongings and carefully snuck out of her house. She left a letter on her bed explaining what she had done. In the letter she promised that she would return to them one day and apologized for leaving so suddenly.

Gathering her own courage and leaving her home behind, Lisa made her way through the forest for the last time to go join her new husband and her new life.

* * *

**Several years later…**

Lisa knelt down by the brook and sat the basket on the ground beside her. She pushed her hair away from her eyes as she reached in and pulled out a dress. She then took the dress and dipped it in the water. The sun felt warm against her skin as she worked. Lifting her head, she looked around at the land and sky and took a moment to enjoy the light that the sun gave.

_It's so beautiful out today. I wish so much that Mathias and I could share days like this. At least we do get to share nights together. I had hoped by now that I could discover a cure for his vampirism, but it seems that I cannot…_

For a moment Lisa became lost in thought. She then heard a small voice call out to her.

"Mother! Mother, where are you!?"

Lisa turned her head to see a young boy standing at the top of the hill looking around.

"I'm down here Adrian!"

The child spotted her and quickly made his way down. Lisa watched as her son carefully dodged the rocks that decorated the ground and ran up to her.

"What is it Adrian?" she asked.

"When's father going to be awake?" he asked. "I want to play."

Lisa sighed. "Your father will be awake when the sun goes down. You know that." she said, trying her best to sound comforting.

Adrian's head sank and he stared at the ground.

"Why does he sleep when we're awake? Why can't he play with me now?"

Lisa looked away from him as she tried to think how to answer. This wasn't the first time that the boy had asked about his father's peculiar sleeping habits. It was obvious that he was bored, but Lisa did not know what to do about it. There was so much work around the house that needed to be done that she had little time to play with him. It had taken time for her to adjust to living with Mathias also, but eventually she did become used to it. For a child though…it was not so easy.

The wind picked up as gray clouds started to roll in overhead. Lisa reached over and gently brushed the boy's long white hair out of his eyes. "Please be patient Adrian. I know it's hard to understand but…this is the way things are. Your father… is different. He is a vampire. He must sleep during the day. When the sun goes down though he can play with you all you want. You must be patient until then."

The boy sighed as a look of genuine disappointment appeared on his face.

Lisa pulled him towards her and hugged him tightly.

"Help me wash these clothes and then we'll play for a while, alright?"

Adrian smiled and nodded in agreement. He then sat down next to his mother on the grass and handed her clothes until the chore was done.

Later, after the sun had sunk below the horizon, Lisa stood at a window peering out at the night sky. As she gazed at the stars above, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and someone gently kiss her on the cheek.

"Good evening my dear." a voice said.

Lisa smiled and turned around. "Good evening. Did you sleep well?"

"Wonderfully. It is much better being awake though, where I can see my family. Speaking of which, where is Adrian?" Mathias asked.

They didn't have to look long before the young boy appeared in the room.

"Father! You're up!" he cried.

Mathias went to him and picked the boy up in his arms.

"Yes I am my son. Now tell me, what have you and your mother done all day?"

The lad proceeded to go through every little thing that he had done at any point in the day. Mathias looked over at Lisa and grinned and saw that she was doing the same. The child's attention to detail was amazing. He didn't forget a thing.

After Adrian was finished with his report of the day's events Mathias sat him back down on the floor.

"Adrian, give your mother and I a little time alone. After we're through talking you and I will go do something fun, alright?"

The boy nodded happily and ran off to another part of the house. After he was gone Mathias turned to Lisa and the two embraced again.

"He's such an incredible child, so intelligent and strong. I wonder what sort of man he will become." Lisa said.

"Hopefully he will be like his mother." Mathias said, looking into her eyes. "Full of compassion and love. Someone who strives to aid others anyway he is able."

Lisa smiled and kissed him.

"Even after all this time you still flatter me Mathias." she said.

"I say those things because they are true." he replied. "Such love for others is a quality rarely seen in humans. I know this."

Mathias fell silent for a moment. He pulled Lisa closer to him and held her tightly.

"You mean so much to me Lisa. For so long I walked this earth, searching for something to fill the hole in my heart. Then I found you. You have shown me unconditional love. I don't know what I would do without you."

Lisa didn't respond. She knew Mathias's past. She knew about Elisabetha and about his own personal anger against God. Deep down her husband's wrath always frightened her. Even now she could remember vividly the night she first discovered he was a vampire. She could feel the all-encompassing rage that poured out of him that night. If that rage were to ever consume him…

"Lisa?"

Startled, Lisa looked up to see Mathias staring at her.

"Is something wrong?"

Lisa shook her head. "Oh no, I'm sorry dear. I became distracted for a moment. Perhaps you had better go find Adrian. He's been so lonely waiting for you today. He wants to spend some time with his father."

Mathias looked at her for a moment and then smiled.

"Alright."

With that he turned and exited the room. Lisa walked back to the window. Again she stared out at the nighttime sky and at the stars burning high above. The moon cast a pale glow over the land and for a moment Lisa felt truly peaceful. That peace was disturbed though by the words that Mathias spoken echoing in her mind.

_Mathias, please don't place your happiness in me. I am only a mortal woman, and one day I will leave this world. If only you would let go of this anger in your soul! But you won't. Instead you continue to harbor this grudge against God for the death of Elisabetha. I did not know her, but from what you have told me about her I do not believe that she would have wanted you to live this way!_

Lisa sighed as she turned these things over in her mind. She then quietly knelt by the window and prayed for her husband, that somehow he would one day find true peace.

The next morning came and Lisa arose early as planned. She woke Adrian up as well and got him dressed.

"Where are we going mother?" he asked.

"I want you to go into the village with me today. I need to buy some things from the market and I thought that you would enjoy seeing the village for yourself." she answered.

"Really? The village?" the boy said, obviously excited. It wasn't often that Adrian got to stray far from their home, so he was more than happy to accompany his mother to a new place.

"There will be other children there your age to." Lisa said, only adding to the thrill of their trip.

Lisa grabbed a large basket and started towards the door of their home.

Then something caught her eye.

She looked down and saw a small vial sitting on a table near the door. Inside of it was a red liquid. She then remembered what it was.

_That's the potion that Mathias taught me how to make. He said it should be potent enough to heal any injury within minutes._

Debating it in her mind for a moment, she decided to take the vial with her.

_It might be useful. Who knows what might happen on the road?_

Basket and vial in tow, Lisa and Adrian set out on the road toward the village. The sun was shining bright in the sky and the cool breeze that was blowing felt good. Lisa smiled as Adrian playfully ran along the worn trail, grabbing rocks off the ground and throwing them as far as he could. Unlike his father, Adrian was not bothered by sunlight. Lisa could only reason that it must come from his half-vampire, half-human blood.

After walking for some time the two eventually came to their destination. The village was crowded today, as there were many others that were also there to shop at the local market. Taking Adrian by the hand Lisa made her way through the crowd and over to each of the individual stands where the local peddlers had set up shop.

Adrian marveled at all the people that were walking around. It was not often that he got to see such a collection of people in one place. The two made their way from stand to stand, looking at everything that the different farmers and peddlers had for sale. For mother and son, it was a moment of true bonding, one they would surely never forget.

Suddenly a scream cut through the air. Lisa turned to see a horse bucking wildly in the middle of the street, its rider trying desperately to hang on and calm the beast. Something had spooked the animal and sent it into a frightened frenzy.

It wasn't long before the steed bucked so hard that its rider fell off, trying his best to hold on. People watched in horror as the horse was then pulled down on top of the poor fellow and from his torso down he was crushed by the animal's immense weight.

The horse quickly got up and ran away. People rushed over to see if they could help the poor man. Lisa watched as all of this happened. "Mother! That horse fell on that man!" Adrian said. Lisa racked her brain trying to think of some way to save this poor soul. No doubt he would not survive the injuries from such an impact.

Then she remembered the potion.

She frantically searched through her belongings until she located the vial. "Adrian! Come with me!" she said.

Lisa rushed over to the fallen man and pushed her way through the crowd. "Let me through! I have something that can help him!" People backed away as she made her way over to him. Lisa could see that blood was trickling out of his mouth and he was coughing up more. It wouldn't be long before he would die. Without further hesitation she lifted the man's head and put the vial to his lips.

"Drink this." she said.

"What is that?" someone asked.

Ignoring the question, Lisa poured the contents of the vial down the man's throat. She then stepped back and waited to see what would happen.

At first…nothing.

But then, after a minute, the man began to sit up. People gasped as he then slowly got to his feet and were even more shocked when he announced that he felt perfectly normal.

"What in God's name?" someone said.

"How is that possible? He…he should be dead!" said another.

All eyes turned to Lisa, including those of the man she saved, and she suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

"What did you give him?" a man asked her. "Are you some sort of healer?"

"I am skilled in medicines, if that is what you mean." Lisa quietly answered.

"Medicine?" cried another villager. "I've never seen a medicine that could do what she just did! No, she's something else! What are you really?" he demanded.

A ring of people now formed around her, trapping her and Adrian in the middle.

"I only gave him a potion that I made. That is all." Lisa said. Adrian clung tightly to his mother's side, now afraid of the villager's unwavering stare.

"A potion!? What are you!? Some sort of witch!?" the villager cried.

An uproar suddenly spread through the crowd. Suspicious looks were now in the eyes of all the villagers.

"Now hold on! How do we know she is a witch? She healed that man!" a woman said in her defense.

"Even Satan masquerades as an angel of light! Witches can work evil magic, who's to say they can't restore life as well, as some sort of trick?" was his response.

Lisa's eyes darted around her. What could she say? Her husband was a vampire, a vampire that was skilled in many magical arts. Mathias had shown her how to infuse magic into her medicines in order to make them more powerful. Lisa had been reluctant to make use of that power at first, but in her desire to find a cure for his vampirism and to help others she gave in and made use of the magic.

Now she regretted ever thinking of it.

"See? She has no response! What do you say madam? Are you or are you not a witch? How do you explain what we've just seen?" the man said in an accusing voice.

"I am not a witch! I only created the medicine to help the sick! That is all! I only want to help others!" she cried.

It was then the crowd truly noticed the young boy standing beside her. They saw his white hair and his pale eyes and skin and were perplexed.

"Is that your child? Why does he look so unusual? I've never seen hair or eyes like that before." the man asked her.

"Leave my son alone!" Lisa cried.

He looked at the boy and then at her again. "If he is your son where is the boy's father? Do you have a husband?"

Lisa's heart skipped a beat and she hesitated for a second. "My…my husband is busy working in our farm. He sent me here to gather supplies." she said, praying that would satisfy them.

However…

In his innocence, young Adrian did not realize what his mother was trying to do.

"But mother, you said father had to sleep during the day. You said he was a vampire."

Lisa's eyes grew wide and she glared at her son.

"Adrian!"

The crowd gasped.

"A vampire!?" they cried.

Lisa watched as people glared at her in shock.

"She's married to a vampire!?" said one.

"She must be a witch then!" cried another.

"She's in league with demons!"

The ring of people tightened and became even more hostile. The rider that Lisa had saved earlier now fled in fear, not wanting to be associated with her for fear of the crowd.

The man that had accused her earlier now turned to the crowd with a smug smile on his face. "Do we need to hear any more? This woman has entered into an unholy union with a demon! And look! Look! See the abomination that is their offspring! As leader of this village, I declare that they must be destroyed!"

The crowd now roared with approval. Several men from the crowd reached out and seized them.

"No! Let us go! You don't understand!" Lisa cried.

"We understand perfectly! You are a servant of the devil and now you will pay for your sin! Burn her at the stake!"

The crowd then took Lisa and Adrian and dragged them into the town square. There they were held and forced to watch as large stakes were driven into the ground. Several villagers ran off to find wood and kindling to start a fire with.

Adrian looked at his mother, fear evident in his eyes.

"Mother, what are they doing?"

Lisa tried her best to calm the boy even though her own heart was filled with fear.

"Don't worry Adrian. Everything's going to be alright. I promise."

Finally, as the sunlight was beginning to fade from the sky, the site was prepared and the villagers grabbed Lisa and led her over to the stake. Adrian watched as they lifted her up and then tied her to it.

"Mother! Mother! Leave my mother alone!" he screamed.

The village leader turned to him. "Shut up spawn of Satan! You have no right to speak here! You will watch as we burn this witch you call your mother. Then we will purify you from this world with the same fire!"

Tears streamed down the boy's face as he watched them pile wood and straw around the stake. Someone then brought a torch and with a roar of approval from the villagers, threw the flaming object onto the pile.

Lisa felt the heat rise up from the flames and winced. She cried out in pain as the fire grew more intense, as more of the wood and straw became engulfed in flame.

Lisa looked and saw Adrian still bound by the hands of the villagers. She could see distress in the boy's eyes, but she could also see anger, great and powerful anger. She could see his father's nature arising in him. Immediately she knew she must not let it consume him. He must not grow up with the same hatred in his heart Mathias had.

"Adrian!" she cried out. The child looked straight at her. "If you cannot live with humans, then at least do them no harm, for theirs is already a hard lot." Adrian listened intently, knowing full well that these were his mother's last words.

The heat was so intense. Lisa could feel herself starting to lose consciousness.

"Also…tell your father…that I will love for him…for all of eternity."

With that, Lisa's head dropped. She could not speak anymore.

At that moment Adrian's vampire blood awoke and suddenly he broke free of his captors. His eyes glowed red and his teeth were now sharp fangs. His first instinct was to attack these men and tear them limb from limb, but instead he chose to run. The villagers tried to grab him but to no avail.

With his mother's last words in his heart the boy ran as hard and as fast as he could back to his home. He had to tell his father what had happened.

Lisa smiled slightly as she saw her son make his escape.

In her mind she went back to the night that she first met Mathias.

_How did this happen? How did it come to this? I only wanted to help others. I only wanted to do good. Was I a fool to marry Mathias? Was I foolish to think I could help him? Maybe I was…I don't know…_

_Adrian…my son…do not grow up like your father. Do not become someone so consumed by anger…_

_Mathias…oh Mathias…please do not be angry with them. Don't let your anger…rule you._

_Oh God…God forgive them…_

_God forgive me…_

With that, Lisa Farenheights departed from this world.

In his coffin, Mathias was suddenly awakened by the sound of a crying child. He threw open the lid and sat up to find his son beside him.

"Adrian!? What's wrong!?" he said.

The boy looked at him, eyes red from crying. He then spoke, his voice choked by his sobs.

"The villagers…they…they…they tied mother to a stake and burned her!"

Mathias's eyes grew wide.

"What!?"

He leapt out of the coffin and knelt beside his son.

"Tell me what happened!"

"Mother helped this man who was hurt and the villagers burned her. They said she was a witch!" he replied.

Rage swept across Mathias's face.

"Stay here Adrian. I will return shortly."

With that Mathias disappeared into the night.

At the village, the people watched as Lisa's body continued to burn and they shouted their approval.

Some of the men then came to the village leader.

"What should we do about the boy that escaped?"

"We will hunt him and his vampire father down later." their leader said. "Right now we will celebrate the good that has been done here tonight! A witch has been destroyed!"

"A witch you say?"

The chilling voice they heard made their blood run cold. The men turned to see another man standing behind them.

"Who are you?" they asked.

Mathias ignored the question and approached the burning stake. There he saw with his own eyes the now charred body of the woman that was his wife. Displaying no emotion at all, he turned back to them.

"Is this how you treat others? You condemned this woman to die for being a witch, yet you knew nothing about her. Did you even try to learn what kind of person she was before you sentenced her to die!?"

The village leader stepped forward.

"I will ignore your ignorant comments stranger. That woman was most certainly a witch! She told us that she was married to a vampire! Not only that, she had a child with the monster! You tell me how you can defend someone like that!"

Mathias began to walk towards him, anger now appearing in his eyes.

"I know what kind of person she was. She gave me love when no one else would."

"I know because I am her husband. I am that vampire!"

The villagers gasped. Several of them reached for pitchforks, knives, or whatever weapon they could get their hands on. Mathias only chuckled at their pitiful efforts to intimidate him.

"You pass judgment on people so easily, you who are mortal and doomed to die. Since you are so eager to pass judgment, then I will let you experience it also. I shall be the one to pass judgment on you!"

With that Mathias lunged forward and with his bare hands, ripped the village leader's head off his body. The people screamed in horror and several of the men tried to attack him. Mathias dodged their strikes effortlessly and dispatched them with ease. People began to flee in terror.

Mathias watched as they ran.

"None of you shall escape! All of who are guilty will DIE!"

The villagers cried out in terror as Mathias transformed before their very eyes from a man into an 8 foot tall winged demon. He then proceeded to slaughter everyone in the village. In his rage he set fire to all of the homes and buildings. No one was spared. Every human life in that place that night was mercilessly ended. Every structure was reduced to ash.

Finally, after he was finished, Mathias went back to the wooden stake that held the remains of Lisa. Tears of fury and sorrow fell down his cheeks.

_This cannot be! THIS CANNOT BE! I will not lose the woman I love again! I will not!_

"DEATH!"

The air around him began to change as Mathias felt a malevolent spirit manifest. A skeletal being carrying a scythe and draped in a robe now stood before him.

"What do you require my king?" he said in a shuddering voice.

Mathias spoke with desperation.

"You have mastery over the dead, do you not? Restore Lisa to me! Return her from the dead!" he demanded.

Death was silent for a moment before giving his answer.

"I cannot." he said.

"What!? What do you mean!?" Mathias shouted.

"The soul of Lisa Farenheights resides in Heaven and in that domain I have no power. I am sorry my lord, but there is nothing I can do." he replied.

Mathias gazed at him in disbelief.

Lisa was gone.

Truly gone.

Forever.

Mathias let out a cry of enraged sorrow and looked up at the sky.

"Then God has robbed me again! Twice he has stolen someone from me!"

Mathias then became quiet as his mind calculated something. In his eyes one could see a look that could almost be taken for insanity.

"If that is the way that he wants to do things, then I shall do the same!"

He looked to the heavens again.

"If you would take life from me then I will do the same to you! Since I cannot have revenge on you directly then I will have it on your creation! I swear now that I will not rest until all of humanity has been wiped from the earth! I will dedicate every waking moment to their destruction!"

* * *

**A few more years later…**

**December, 1476.**

Mathias stood on the balcony of his newly acquired castle. As he overlooked the land before him he felt Death appear beside him. It had been several years since he had declared war on mankind and now Mathias felt he was ready to begin his assault. He had spent every ounce of energy he had on mastering the powers of darkness. Now he held within his grasp the power to call forth legions of hellish monsters and use them to do his bidding.

He spoke to the grim reaper as he surveyed the land before him.

"From here Death we will begin our mission. It is from this castle that you and I will oversee the destruction of humanity. Not one will be spared. They will all pay for Lisa's murder."

He heard Death laugh quietly to himself.

"What amuses you about this?" Mathias said.

"Nothing my lord, I was only thinking about the similarity between you and the former master of this castle."

"The former master?" Mathias said.

"Yes, the man that was ruler of this castle before you. He was a king, and a great warrior, but he was also a merciless tyrant. He was legendary for his cruelty and the way that he tortured his enemies. He killed any who opposed him and did so without regret. He was obsessed with torture and regularly impaled his enemies on stakes just to watch them suffer. Everyone in his kingdom feared him. Once, just to intimidate his enemies, he had 20,000 of his captives executed and put on display as a warning to others."

Mathias looked at him.

"Interesting." he said. "What was his name?"

"He was called Vlad Tepes, but he was better known by another name…" Death replied.

"DRACULA."

"Dracula…" Mathias repeated. The named seemed to roll effortlessly off his tongue. He froze, as if the mere sound of the word had some sort of mesmerizing effect on him.

"Hmm…a king that struck fear into the hearts of his subjects with murderous brutality so extreme and perverse that it made him legendary…"

Mathias smiled and then began to laugh to himself. Death gazed at him, wondering just what his master was thinking.

"A legacy such as this cannot be left undone. Let it be known that from this day forward I shall carry on this great king's legacy of death! I shall carry on what he began and adopt his name as my oath!"

Mathias looked out over the land again.

"From this day forward Mathias Cronqvist is gone! "

"His new name is DRACULA!"

At that moment a man walked into an inn in a village not far from Castle Dracula. He shook the dust off his clothes and made his way to the proprietor of the building.

"What can I do for you sir?" he asked.

"I need a room for the night." the man answered, obviously weary from travel.

"You're in luck sir! I have one room left. What's your name?"

The stranger looked at him.

"Trevor…Trevor Belmont."

**End of Chapter 2**


	3. The Horrible, Horrible Night

"Belmont?"

The innkeeper stared at Trevor with a suspicious look on his face.

"What clan of Belmonts are you from?" he asked.

Trevor closed his eyes and sighed. He knew what would happen if he answered the man's question truthfully. However, it was against his moral conscious to lie, no matter what the consequences may be.

"Sir, please, all I ask is a room for the night. I am weary from travel and I only require a place to rest for a while. I will pay you whatever you ask."

The innkeeper glared at him for a moment and narrowed his eyes.

"So you _are_ one of those Belmont's…" he muttered. "I'm sorry, but there is no room for you here. Please leave."

Trevor started to protest.

"Sir, please, I beg you! I will only be here for the night and will be gone first thing in the morning-"

"Get out!" the innkeeper shouted. The man's sudden scream attracted the attention of others in the inn. Trevor watched nervously as guests began to poke their heads out of their rooms and search for the source of the commotion.

The innkeepers face turned red.

"No one's seen a Belmont around here for years and things have been just fine! Every time one of you shows up there's always some monster or other beast right behind you! You're just as much a curse as the monsters themselves! Now get out! Go!"

Trevor could see the guests starting to head towards him. The possibility of a Belmont being in their midst was more than enough to get their attention. Admitting defeat, Trevor quickly gathered up his belongings and moved towards the door. The innkeeper's eyes never left him as he opened and then closed it behind him.

Now out on the street again, Trevor could hear the sound of people talking coming from behind him. The guests were asking the innkeeper what had happened and Trevor could hear the name "Belmont" being mentioned often. Shaking his head in both disbelief and disgust, the young man took a deep breath and began walking down the street.

_It seems fear of the Belmont name still runs strong in these areas. I suppose I cannot blame them though._

The innkeeper's fearful and angry reaction was not completely unfounded. The Belmont family had gained a reputation throughout the land for their incredible skill in battle. They were known to be a warrior clan without equal, but they weren't just any warriors.

They were warriors that fought the damned.

Usually whenever a Belmont appeared somewhere it meant that they were either tracking some sort of hellish beast or they were there to fight one. The townsfolk would then watch in amazement as this lone man, or woman, would do battle against one or more unholy creatures and defeat them. It wasn't long before people began to fear the Belmonts and they were considered just as threatening as the monsters they fought. People with strength like that couldn't be normal…or even human.

_I guess I shouldn't be surprised they fear me._

At that moment Trevor looked up and saw the village church standing in front of him. It was a stone building, much larger than any other in the village, and a large cross stood on a pedestal outside the front entrance. The moon was high in the sky and there were no other villages or towns around for miles. He then decided that if there was any chance he had for sleeping in peace tonight, it would have to be in the house of God.

Trevor first made sure that none of the villagers were watching him and then proceeded to silently enter the church. He walked past one row of pews after another as he made his way down the aisle and towards the back of the sanctuary area. There he could see a man kneeling in prayer before the large altar. Trevor waited patiently until the man finished. Judging from the robe he wore, Trevor assumed the man was a priest.

"Excuse me, Father?"

He was correct. The priest arose from his place on the floor and turned towards him. Trevor could see he was an older man, slightly stooped over from age but in his eyes one could still see a remarkable intellect. He gazed at Trevor briefly with his steely gray eyes before finally speaking.

"Hello young man and welcome. I wasn't expecting anyone this late at night but you are always welcome here."

Trevor nodded.

"I'm glad to hear that Father. I am actually here seeking a place to rest for the night. I am afraid there is no…room at the inn."

The priest glanced down and saw the whip hanging at Trevor's side. He was silent for a moment before finally nodding.

"I understand…" he said quietly. "Young man…tell me, are you of the house of Belmont?"

Trevor froze and felt his heart sink.

"Yes…yes I am…"

The priest's face showed no emotion and it seemed that he was lost in thought. He glanced again at the whip at Trevor's side and then into the young man's eyes before he replied.

"My boy, the Lord shows love and mercy to all his children, therefore I shall do the same. My name is Father Adolphus Heinbrook."

The old priest then extended his hand towards him and a smile appeared on his face. Trevor couldn't help but smile as well as he felt a glimmer of hope suddenly spring to life within him. He shook hands with the priest.

"My name is Trevor Belmont. It is a pleasure to meet you Father."

Father Heinbrook turned and motioned for Trevor to follow him.

"Follow me, young Belmont. Considering your family's reputation I gather that you are not in our little village without a reason. Rest, and allow me to prepare a meal for you while we discuss what has brought you here."

"I thank you Father. Your generosity is greatly appreciated."

Trevor then followed the aged priest through a door to the back of the church. Tucked away from the rest of the building was the small area that the Father called home.

"You live in the church?" Trevor asked.

"I do." the Father replied. "This has been my home since I began my priesthood here. It is a humble life, but then, one does not enter the priesthood for earthly gain, does he?"

"No, one does not." Trevor said with a chuckle.

The priest pulled out a chair at his table and offered it to the young Belmont. Trevor then sat as Father Heinbrook went to work preparing a meal for them.

"So tell me Trevor, what has brought you to this place? If the stories of the Belmont clan are true then there is a reason you are here."

Trevor sighed.

"Indeed there is. I fear a great evil is about to befall this place. I have been overcome with nightmares these past few nights. In them I see a castle and from it stretches the hand of the devil. In these nightmares I hear the same name repeated over and over...Dracula."

Father Heinbrook froze where he stood. He then closed his eyes and crossed himself before turning towards Trevor.

As a pot full of stew began to heat up over a fire, he made his way over to the table and sat down. Trevor noticed a rather worried expression on his face.

"I'm afraid you are not the only one that has sensed great evil around here. My dreams as of late have also been plagued with visions of evil. I see nothing but a shadow that stretches out over the land and drains the life out of everything that it touches. It pours like a dark flood out of a castle. There is no mistaking the castle in my dreams. It is the no doubt the one that you have seen as well."

"It is Castle Dracula."

The priest spoke with a shudder. Trevor could see that he was deeply concerned. The old man was not one to take visions and dreams lightly, as some priests were prone to do.

"In truth, my boy, I knew it wouldn't be long before a Belmont would arrive here."

Trevor nodded.

"Then I have come to the right place."

Father Heinbrook rose and went to stir the pot of stew.

"Not far from this place is the castle. For several years it was the home to a man known as Vlad Tepes, but he became better known to the commoners as Dracula, son of the dragon. He was a bloodthirsty man, a tyrant, who delighted in torturing and killing his victims in the most grotesque and inhumane ways."

"Where is he now?" Trevor asked.

"He is dead." the Father replied. "His soul departed this world not long ago, but I fear that the legacy of evil he left behind still inhabits that place."

Trevor sat silent in the chair, lost in his own thoughts, pondering the words the priest had spoken.

_Dracula…_

Trevor had heard the name before, but only in stories from fellow travelers. They told of a man whose brutality was unmatched and whose fury burned like the fires of hell, impaling his enemies on spikes just for the thrill of watching them die.

"But if Dracula is dead, then how could he be the source of this evil?" he asked.

The priest shook his head.

"I do not know that it is Vlad Tepes. I only know what you know, that our dreams have shown us that something terrible is coming."

Father Heinbrook returned to the boiling pot and brought back a bowl full of the stew. He then sat it in front of Trevor.

"I realize you have much on your mind Trevor but please eat. You will need your strength."

The smell of the stew was enough to make Trevor's stomach rumble. He then realized how hungry he truly was. Thanking the priest, he took the bowl and began to dig in.

The stew was delicious. He couldn't remember a time when a meal had been quite as satisfying as this one.

After he ate his fill Trevor sighed and took a moment to enjoy the feeling of a full stomach. Father Heinbrook had disappeared only a moment ago, heading off to another room in the church. He reappeared a short while later.

"I have prepared a place for you to sleep Trevor. You are welcome to stay here with me as long as you need to."

Trevor wasn't one to normally accept charity, but in this situation he knew he probably wouldn't find a good place to sleep anywhere else.

"Thank you Father. I am in your debt."

He then made his way to the bed the priest had made for him. Crawling in, it wasn't long before Trevor found himself drifting off into a deep slumber.

* * *

Dracula couldn't help but grin with excitement as he stared out over the countryside. His mind was racing, filled with elation at the thought of finally getting the revenge that he had desired for so long. He had abandoned his old name as well, taking on the identity of the castle's former master. It was in this name that he would pass judgment on humanity. He would judge them as a king, a king known and feared for his unfathomable lust for blood.

Death appeared again beside him.

"My lord, everything is prepared. We only await your command to begin."

Dracula turned to him.

"Then let us begin Death. Let's wait no longer. These insects have been allowed to wallow in their sins for too long. Now, I shall cleanse them from this world. They will pay for what they did to Lisa!"

* * *

Trevor awoke some time later in a cold sweat. He bolted up in the bed and quickly scanned the room, his eyes frantically searching for signs of something, but he wasn't sure what. Frantically, he leapt out of the bed and got dressed. He snatched the whip from where it lay and tied it to his belt. He didn't know why but he was suddenly overcome with a sense of great urgency. He bolted out of the room.

_Something is wrong. I can feel it. There's something in the air, something I can't quite put my finger on. I don't know what it is, but I know it's here!_

Trevor rushed out of the church and into the street.

Nothing.

The street was clear. The moon, shining full and bright, hung overhead and bathed the earth in its eerie glow. Trevor glanced all around but saw nothing unusual. Shaking his head, he turned to face the church again.

_Maybe I should go back to sleep. Perhaps my mind is playing tricks on me._

Still, the terrible feeling he had would not leave. Trevor then set his eyes on the large cross that stood at the front of the church. He then slowly walked forward and knelt in front of it.

There Trevor Belmont prayed. He prayed harder and more intensely than he ever had before in his life. As each word left his mouth and raced to the Lord above his heartbeat quickened and the feeling that something terrible was about to happen grew within him. He was a Belmont. He could sense it. He could sense that evil was about to descend upon this place and in a way the world had never seen before. He was only one man though, what could he do to stop it?

Suddenly lightning split the sky overhead. Trevor looked up and jumped to his feet. Bolts of lightning, red in color, streaked through the air and crashed with a fiery explosion into the earth below. Trevor then noticed that the moon itself was no longer a brilliant white, but it was now a deep red, the color of blood.

As peals of thunder rumbled above, villagers began to make their way out of their houses and into the streets to gaze at the phenomenon. They gasped in awe as the storm became more violent and the wind began to pick up as well.

"Trevor! Trevor!"

The voice of Father Heinbrook could be heard coming from the church. Trevor turned around to see the old man coming towards him. He grabbed Trevor by the shoulders and gazed at him with his piercing eyes.

"You feel it don't you Trevor? You sense what is about to happen! The world is about to be torn apart!"

Trevor turned again and stared at the blood moon that hung in the heavens.

"I don't know…what can I do? I am only one man…"

Father Heinbrook shook him.

"Fear not child! You are not just a man! You are a Belmont, and your time is coming!"

The ground suddenly started to shake. Trevor grabbed hold of the old priest and held him steady as he himself struggled to stand. The villagers that were gathered in the street were falling all over each other, many falling down as they tried to help another get back up. Then, just as quickly as it started, it stopped. The earth came to a rest. The wind died down and the violent storm that had been raging overhead was now gone.

Trevor and Father Heinbrook looked at each other. For several moments everyone in the village looked around in stunned silence.

"This is not good." Trevor whispered. "Not good at all…"

No sooner had the words left his mouth when a terrified scream rang out. Every looked to see where it was coming from.

"Over there! Look!" a woman cried.

Everyone turned their eyes toward the village graveyard.

To their absolute horror, they saw bony hands beginning to burst up from the ground. It wasn't long before entire corpses pulled themselves up from their graves and began to slowly shuffle towards the village.

"The dead! The dead are walking!" a man screamed.

Panic seized them as villagers scrambled to find a place to hide. Trevor looked at Father Heinbrook.

"Get inside the church! Stay there and don't come out until I return!"

The priest nodded. He then turned and started to gather villagers, moving them into the church.

Trevor faced the graveyard and the oncoming army of undead. Reaching down, he took the whip from his belt and held it in his hand. He could feel something coming from it, a strange sort of presence, as if something inside of it yearned to strike down the monsters before him.

Waiting no longer, Trevor ran forward with a shout.

"YAH!"

The whip whistled as it ripped through the air and the crack it made when it hit undead flesh was like that of thunder. The living watched in amazement as Trevor began to bring down one zombie after another, all of them falling to his whip. For Trevor Belmont, this was a rush like no other. It was now, in the heat of battle, that he felt truly alive, and he understood again why the Belmonts were a warrior clan.

They were born for battle.

Fighting his way through the mass of walking skeletons and zombies, Trevor made his way into the graveyard, where the evil presence was the strongest. Fortunately the villagers had been away from the graveyard when the dead began to rise. He started looking around, searching for any other monsters.

An inhuman scream filled his ears. Trevor spun around and rolled aside just in time to avoid a giant sword cutting him in two.

Getting to his feet, Trevor's eyes saw another creature standing before him. It was a skeleton, but far larger than any he had seen before. It was almost twice his height and its skull was more like that of a bull than that of a man. In its hands it held a massive sword and shield.

The skeletal beast roared as it swung at Trevor again. The young Belmont jumped back to avoid the swipe and retaliated with a swing of his whip. The weapon made contact and the creature roared in pain.

"What manner of demon are you? You are nothing but bones yet you have a voice. What dark power created you?"

Trevor's questions went unanswered as the monster struck at him again and again. Each time Trevor nimbly lept aside as gravestones and other markers were destroyed around him. Trevor finally managed another strike. The whip made contact with the creature's skull, causing it to rock back in pain.

"Be gone from this world! Die!"

Trevor swung the whip again with all his might. The weapon again made contact with the skull, causing it to shatter into pieces. The rest of the skeleton then collapsed to the ground.

Trevor stared at his defeated foe, and then watched in amazement as each of the bones, as well as the sword and shield, were consumed in blue fire. When the fire finally vanished the bones were gone.

_What was it? It's like nothing I've ever seen before._

In the distance Trevor could see the castle. As he stared at it he could again feel that strange sensation coming from the whip. It was as if the weapon was urging him on, telling him to hurry towards the castle.

Trevor returned to the village and ran into the church.

"Is everyone alright!?"

"We are here Trevor! We are alright." Father Heinbrook answered.

Gathered all around were the people of the village. They looked at Trevor but none of them spoke to him. Trevor then saw the face of the innkeeper, the same man who only a few hours ago had thrown him out of the inn.

Father Heinbrook approaced him.

"You must go Trevor. This is only the beginning. I suspect it won't be long before more monsters arrive here. They are probably spreading across the countryside as well. Head for the castle! Bring an end to this and restore peace to the world!"

Trevor nodded.

"I will. Thank you again Father. Your kindness will always be remembered by the Belmont family."

"I am glad to help." he responded. "Now, there is a clock tower to the northwest of this village. It has a bridge that connects to the castle. If you follow the road it will take you there. You will find my horse in the stable behind the church. Take her. She is strong and will get you to the clock tower much faster than on foot. Now go Trevor! Hurry!"

Wasting no time, Trevor thanked the priest and immediately ran out of the church. He found the stable and within it a beautiful brown horse. He immediately saddled her and within minutes was racing down the path towards the clock tower.

* * *

"My lord," Death said. "I have some interesting news."

Dracula turned to his servant.

"Tell me."

"There is a village not far from here that has survived your forces." Death said.

A look of confusion appeared on Dracula's face.

"How is that possible? Humans are weak creatures. They could not defeat an army of undead."

Death looked out over the balcony of the Castle Keep.

"That wasn't the interesting part. What's interesting was that they were saved by one man."

Dracula was silent for several moments before he responded.

"Who was it, Death?"

"I believe you already know my lord. His name is Trevor Belmont."

Shock and disbelief swept across Dracula's face. He leaned against the balcony for support as he became lost in thought. Death only heard one word escape his lips as he ponderd this startling news.

"Leon..."

**End of Chapter 3**


	4. He Who Saves

**Castlevania: Dracula's Curse**

**I apologize for how long it's taken me to post another chapter. My time has been really constricted lately and it doesn't help that I've been in a creative funk as well. I know this chapter is fairly short but I hope that this will help me get over the slump and I can post updates at a better pace. Thanks for your patience!**

Chapter 4 – He Who Saves

Trevor's ride through the night had not been easy. Already the servants of evil were prowling the countryside, seeking to carry out their dreadful mission. They were even spread out along the path to the tower, but he ignored them instead of stopping to deal with them. His priority right now was to get to the castle as quickly as possible. From all around he could hear the distant screams and cries of others, and in the distance he could see smoke rising into the air and the flicker of flames as houses and buildings burned to the ground.

_This is worse than I thought. The monsters have gotten farther than I realized! I must hurry!_

Fortunately, it wasn't long before he arrived at the tower. Dismounting, Trevor patted the Father's horse gently on the head.

"Thank you girl. Return now to your master. I should not need you any longer."

The young horse turned and quickly galloped off down the path. Trevor looked up at the tower and examined it closely. The structure appeared to be quite aged. Moss and vines were climbing up the stone walls and cracks had become visible in the structure. High atop the tower he could see the bridge that connected it to the castle.

_That's where I need to go. It's not far away!_

The door opened with little effort, as age and rust had rendered it quite easy to move. Trevor stepped inside and began to search for the way up. Seeing a stairway, he began to ascend higher and higher up the tower. The sound of gears moving and metal hitting against metal could be heard all around as he climbed.

_Strange, there aren't any monsters in here. I thought for sure there would be guardians for a place like this._

Counting this as good fortune, Trevor soon found himself pushing open the door to the tower's highest room. The entrance to the bridge wasn't far away. Stepping inside, he closed the door behind him. The first thing Trevor noticed was that the room completely dark, save for the spots of moonlight coming in through the windows and a few holes in the ceiling. He stepped cautiously across the floor as he made his way toward the other side. He could see the door to the bridge on the distant wall.

_There it is. I just need to get across and I can get to the castle._

The sound of a piece of wood hitting the floor reached his ears. Trevor spun around, his eyes darting from side to side. However he saw nothing. He started to turn back toward the door when he heard more objects being moved around. He spun around again, his right hand going to the whip that hung at his side.

"Is someone there?" he called.

Suddenly a tremendous roar filled the room and Trevor found himself being thrown across the room as monstrous hands reached out from the shadows and seized him. He slammed against the wall on the other side and sunk to the floor beneath him. His vision somewhat blurred, Trevor fought to get back to his feet.

_Perhaps I was wrong about there not being guardians here…_

As he got up he could hear the sound of his assailant charging at him again. This time Trevor quickly rolled aside and dodged the second attack. The young Belmont swiftly backed away and readied his whip in his right hand.

"Who are you!? Why are you attacking me!?"

The strange figure stepped into the light, allowing Trevor to finally see him. What he saw made his eyes grow wide in surprise.

"My God in Heaven…"

What he saw appeared to be more beast than man. Though he appeared human, or at least close to human, he was much larger than a normal man and he had wild black hair that stuck out from under a scarlet colored bandana. He was clad only in a dirty vest and pants and Trevor couldn't help but notice that he stank terribly as well.

The beastly man looked down at him and scowled. Rage filled his strange yellowed eyes and a growl escaped his lips. Trevor quickly scanned the room, looking for a way to escape. There was the door to the bridge, but he had no doubt this monster would not let him get away that easily.

_My only choice then is to fight…_

The monster charged again, swiping at him with his claw-like hands. Trevor ducked and rolled away, causing the beast to fly by him. Taking the chance, he raised his arm and delivered a strike with the Vampire Killer. The beast man screamed in pain but continued his attack. He grabbed a chunk of stone that had fallen to the floor and hurled it at Trevor. Again Trevor ducked, but not quick enough to get out of the way of the charging beast again. He grabbed Trevor up and rammed into the wall as hard as he could, causing him to drop his whip. He felt the wind almost knocked out of his lungs by the impact. The monster then put his hands around Trevor's neck and tried to squeeze the life out of him.

_He's so strong…I've got to do something quick!_

With all his strength Trevor raised up his legs and kicked the man in the face as hard as he could. This stunned him, but only slightly. Trevor then kicked him again, this time hard enough to cause the man to let go. Falling to the floor, Trevor struggled to catch his breath and get away from his enemy at the same time. The monster recovered from the blow and let out an enraged scream. He spun around just in time for the Vampire Killer to make contact with his face. The beast staggered back and grabbed his head in pain. Trevor continued his attack, landing blow after blow all over the monster's body. Finally, the man could take no more and collapsed to the floor in a heap.

Trevor stumbled back against the wall and took a deep breath, glad to have the battle over with. Suddenly a strange light began to shine from the monster's body. Trevor watched as it covered the beast man and soon became so bright that it filled the room, forcing him to cover his eyes.

After a few moments it disappeared.

As his eyes tried to adjust, Trevor looked down at where the beast man had been lying.

_He's changed!_

Indeed he had. Now lying where the guardian had once been was a man, a normal looking human being. Trevor walked over to him and carefully examined him.

_He seems to be alive. I think he's breathing…_

"Are you alright? Can you hear me?" he asked.

The man quietly groaned and opened his eyes. He rolled over onto his back and looked around. Spotting Trevor kneeling next to him, he cracked a smile.

"So are you the one that whipped me?" he whispered.

Trevor was somewhat surprised at his question.

"Yes, I was the one that defeated you. However, it seems to me that you were being controlled by an evil power. Only moments ago you were set on killing me."

The man chuckled at this and slowly sat up. Trevor helped him rise and get onto his feet.

"Sorry about trying to kill you lad. You're right. I wasn't myself. Someone else was using me." he said apologetically.

"Can you tell me who?" Trevor asked.

The man looked at him.

"Before I go answering any questions I'd like to know the name of the man who set me free, so I can at least thank him properly."

Trevor nodded.

"My apologies. My name is Trevor Belmont."

Trevor extended his hand and the man took it, giving him a firm shake.

"I'm forever in your debt Trevor Belmont. My name's Grant Danasty."

**End of Chapter 3**


	5. Second Chance

**Castlevania: Dracula's Curse**

Chapter 5 – Second Chance

Trevor was relieved for two reasons. The first was that this man, Grant Danasty, was alright and seemed to be in good spirits. The other was that this man was no longer a hideous monster that was trying to kill him.

Grant smiled at Trevor as he tried to walk on his own. However, he quickly began to wobble and Trevor was forced to hold him up to keep him from falling.

"Looks like being changed into a monster and then being changed back again takes a lot out of you." he chuckled.

Trevor helped him sit and lean against a wall. He was surprised Grant was taking all this so jovially. His own demeanor was much more serious.

"I cannot leave you here. I will help you down but we must hurry. I have to get to that castle as quickly as possible. If my guess is correct, the being that was controlling you is hiding out within its walls."

Grant grinned again, an action that was quickly becoming his trademark.

"I'm afraid you won't make it friend. But you're right, we'd best be getting out of here."

Trevor looked at him, puzzled.

"What do you mean?"

Grant tried to stand.

"What I mean is that this place is going to be destroyed very soon and we'll go down with it if we don't get out."

* * * * *

Dracula still stood at the balcony of the castle keep, silently watching the rampage of his minions. His concentration was only broken when he felt Death materialize behind him. The cloaked entity quietly approached and stood beside his master.

"The guardian of the clock tower has fallen."

Though his face showed no reaction, deep down Dracula was troubled by this news, for it could only mean one thing.

"Yes, I sensed his power fade only moments ago. Then it really is as he promised. Leon's descendant has finally showed himself. Only someone with the power he possessed could possibly have defeated the tower guardian."

Death emitted a low growl at the sound of the Belmont name, his defeat all those years ago still fresh in his mind.

"What is your command then my lord? Belmont now has a clear road to the castle. Please allow me the pleasure of dealing with him."

Dracula turned to his eager servant.

"Your vengeance will need to wait a little longer Death. We have yet to see just what this young man is capable of. Besides, there is no cause for concern at this moment."

The two of them watched as black clouds suddenly swirled over head and bolts of fierce lighting appeared from nowhere.

"I sense dark magic…" Death hissed.

Dracula continued.

"I arranged so that if the tower guardian were ever defeated the bridge connecting the tower to the castle would be instantly destroyed."

If Death could have smiled he would have.

"Very wise my lord."

Dracula stared sharply towards the tower.

"Trevor Belmont has many more trials to endure before he finds his way to this Keep. We will see if there is still any strength in the Belmont bloodline."

* * * * *

Trevor looked at Grant, stunned at what he had just heard. Before he could inquire further though a clap of thunder suddenly broke through the sky. Trevor spun around and ran to a window. The wind had quickly picked up and black clouds were swirling over head. Then, in a flash of brilliant white light, a bolt of lightning split the sky and hit the bridge directly. Chunks of stone flew through the air and fell to the ground below as the once sturdy bridge now began to collapse in ruin.

Trevor's heart sank.

"No!" he cried.

"I told you!" Grant yelled. The wind was becoming so violent that he had to raise his voice to be heard. "We've got to get out of here Trevor! This tower's coming down!"

The whole structure began to rock violently as cracks started to run up the walls. Trevor and Grant wasted no time in sprinting out the door and down the creaking steps as fast as they could. Grant found himself still struggling to walk, but the flow of adrenaline through his body helped him ignore any discomfort. They reached the entrance to the tower just as the upper area came crashing down. They burst through the door and dove behind a large rock as the entire tower exploded into a pile of ruins behind them. Stone, gears, and other various parts of the clockwork landed all around them as massive amounts of dust filled the air.

They emerged from behind their cover coughing from the dust, both of them glad to be alive and not crushed beneath the mountain of rubble. Trevor looked at where the tower once stood in disbelief.

"What happened?" he said, still in shock.

Grant coughed again as he tried to answer him. "The bridge was set to be destroyed in the event that someone defeated me. You can call it Dracula's backup plan."

Trevor immediately turned around at the sound of that name.

"Dracula? Is that who is doing this? Is that his name?"

Grant shrugged.

"That's the name he told me. As to whether or not it's his real name, who knows? Why? Is that important?"

Trevor stood for a moment in silence.

_Could it really be as the Father said? Could this man Dracula have somehow returned from the dead and done all of this? Or is there some other dark power at work here?_

By now frustration was beginning to cloud his thoughts. He had been so close, he had had a clear shot at the castle, but now his clear shot was nothing but rocks lying at the bottom of a lake.

Trevor looked toward the castle, which now seemed even further in the distance than it had before.

"Coward." he seethed.

He turned to Grant.

"Come on, I have to get you back to safety as quickly as possible."

Instead of following, Grant only stared at him for a moment.

"What are you talking about? You're going to that castle to stop Dracula right?"

Trevor nodded. "Yes."

"Then I'm coming with you!" Grant replied.

"No!" came Trevor's immediate response. "I cannot endanger the life of another. I must get you back to the village immediately. Now please follow me!"

Now Grant was getting agitated.

"Do you really think you can defeat all of those monsters by yourself? You'd be a fool to go by yourself! There's more out there than just Dracula you know!"

"I am well aware of that." Trevor retorted. "My family has fought against Satan's minions for generations. I know what I am up against. It would be better if I went alone."

"You have no idea what you are up against!" Grant shouted back.

Trevor grit his teeth. "For the last time, you are not coming with me!"

Grant then became silent and stared at the ground.

"Do you know how I ended up in the clock tower? "

Trevor did not reply. He looked up, his emotions clear in his eyes, and continued speaking.

"I was put up in that tower after I watched my wife brutally murdered right in front of my own eyes."

The intensity and anger built in his voice.

"I was forced to watch, helpless, as the woman I loved was drained of every last bit of blood in her body! It was Dracula! I watched him do it, and there was nothing I could do to stop him! Then, after he had taken from me the one person I truly valued in this world, he further humiliated me by making me into one of his servants. It was like a nightmare Trevor, an honest to God living Hell! He set me in that tower and that's where I stayed until you came along."

His voice now shifted from a tone of anger to the tone of man pleading for another chance.

"Don't you understand how I feel? You've given me a second chance to avenge my wife. Let me come with you! We'll work together and make sure that no one else ever suffers what Dracula did to me! For her sake please…"

His voice then cut off as his emotions got the best of him. He sank to his knees and there wept bitterly. Trevor watched him sitting there and in his heart felt deep pity and compassion for this man. He could only imagine the unholy terrors he had been put through, the horror and humiliation he had been forced to endure.

Trevor knelt beside him.

"Your wife, tell me about her."

Grant composed himself and slowly began to speak, and as he did his eyes stared off into space, as if somewhere in the distance he could see the woman he spoke of.

"Her name was Heather…and she was the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. In all the years of my life I have never met her equal. She was the most compassionate and loving person I have ever known, and she proved it by taking in someone like me. I was a pirate in my younger days. It was all I could do to survive. I thought that being a pirate was all that I would ever do. It wasn't the best life, but it kept me alive. Then one day I met her. I had seen hundreds of women before but never one like her. I loved her Trevor. I loved her more than my own life. For her sake I gave up being a pirate. It wasn't long after that I married her. I couldn't have been happier. That was the best time of my life."

He stopped for a moment and Trevor could see a different look come over him.

"Then one night our village came under attack by some kind of monster. It killed everyone and then turned its attention to Heather and I. I stood in front of her, trying to protect her, but the monster only laughed at me. It then changed from a beastly looking thing into a man right before our eyes. Before I even knew what to think I found myself being thrown through the air and landing on the ground far away. I blacked out for a moment. When I came to, the only thing I saw was Heather being held up in the air…and the man drinking blood from her neck. I tried to get up but I couldn't. I tried so hard to save her but I was powerless! He then looked at me and said 'Now you know the pain I feel. My name is Dracula and from this day on you will serve me.' That's when he put his spell on me."

All was silent for a moment. Trevor then returned to his feet and extended his hand towards Grant. Grant took it and got to his feet.

"For Heather's sake then, let's put an end to this." Trevor said.

Grant smiled and nodded.

"Thank you friend. Thank you."

With those words, the two men set off towards the east, determined that together they would put an end to Dracula's evil.


	6. The Angel in Stone

**Castlevania: Dracula's Curse**

**For those of you who have been following this story, let me apologize for taking SO long to post an update. I regret that I've had so little time to write but hopefully that has finally changed and I will be able to get updates on here regularly.**

**Chapter 6 – The Angel in Stone**

Dracula gazed at the remains of the clock tower, now reduced to nothing more than a pile of rock and twisted metal. "This way is now shut Death. However, our foe is a Belmont, and he will not give up until his lungs no longer draw breath. He will find another way to us."

"Yes, and now he has the tower guardian with him as an ally. He is familiar with the land." Death hissed.

Dracula's eyes turned eastward. He knew full well what Trevor and Grant were planning. "There is only one other way they can go: the tower bridge. The pirate will definitely lead him through the old crypts and into the tower. From there they will seek to cross the bridge and enter the castle."

"Will you destroy that bridge as well?" Death asked.

Dracula was silent for a moment. "No…while you and I have no need of a bridge my friend, many of my forces do. We will have to risk Belmont crossing. We cannot damage this campaign because of him."

Death then asked the question that was truly on his mind.

"Do you believe that he actually poses a threat to us?"

Dracula's eyes narrowed. He then walked away from the balcony and back into the Keep, leaving Death standing there with his question unanswered.

"I see…" the reaper hissed. He then changed into a vapor like form and vanished into the night.

* * * *

The journey eastward was not going as smoothly as Trevor had hoped. Dracula's evil influence was spreading across the land, and now he and Grant found themselves being attacked by animals driven to madness by Dracula's power. Grant's dagger was already soaked with blood as he was forced yet again to cut the throat of another beast. As the creature's body fell to the ground he turned towards Trevor.

"This is ridiculous! We're not here to kill animals! We're hunting a vampire!"

Trevor nodded. "Dracula is affecting their minds. His influence is driving them into this savage state. We must hurry." They continued onward like this for some time until they finally emerged from the thick woods into a small clearing.

Trevor stopped and looked around.

"This is…a cemetery?"

Grant nodded in silent agreement.

"Someone put a graveyard out here in the middle of nowhere."

Cautiously, the two began to walk into the maze of gravestones and statues. The yard was quite large, stretching on across the entire distance of the clearing and then down a slight slope and towards a ravine below. As they made their way the men couldn't help but find themselves drawn to the statues they were passing. Each of them appeared to have been made by a master artist. The attention to detail was amazing on each and every one.

There was one statue though that made Trevor stop in his tracks. He stared at it for a moment before moving in closer for a better look.

"Grant, come look at this."

The pirate moved closer and gazed at the work of art also.

"This one…this one is…unbelievable…"

The statue was sculpted into the form of a young woman. She wore a dress and a cloak over it with a hood that covered her head. She held in her left hand a staff that looked as if it was supposed to be made of wood. Every part of her been sculpted with the greatest amount of detail. Everything looked absolutely real, from the folds in her cloak to the tense muscles in her fingers as she held onto the staff. What really caught their eyes though was the look on her face.

It was a look of profound sorrow.

"Who do you think this is supposed to be?" Grant asked.

"I do not know…" Trevor replied.

His hand then slowly reached up and touched the statue's face.

"She appears so sad…"

_Help me._

Trevor suddenly jerked his hand back and looked up at the statue in shock.

"What?" Grant asked.

"I heard something. A voice…like someone calling for help."

Grant looked at him.

"I didn't hear anything. Are you sure?"

"Yes." Trevor responded. "It sounded like a woman's voice. I heard it when I touched the statue."

Grant then put his own hand on the statue's face and waited, but heard nothing.

"I think you're hearing things my friend."

Trevor looked at him and then back at the statue. Once more he touched the stone lady's face.

_Help me…please…Hurry! He is coming!_

The men suddenly heard a series of loud thuds in the distance. They turned and looked towards the direction of the sound.

"What is that?" Grant wondered aloud.

The booming noise was drawing closer and getting louder. The woman's voice suddenly rang through Trevor's head again.

_Look out! Run!_

Out of the forest and the shadows sprang a gigantic humanoid creature that sped towards Grant and Trevor in an all out sprint. It then let out an earth shattering roar and leapt into the air. It held in its hands an enormous hammer that it lifted over its head and prepared to bring crashing down on their heads.

"Move!" Trevor screamed.

Both men dove aside as the hammer slammed into the ground, shaking everything around and leaving a large imprint in the dirt. They quickly scrambled to their feet and gazed at the monster. What stood before them was unlike anything they had ever seen. The beast stood at least ten feet tall. Its skin was the color of stone and huge muscles bulged all over its body. Sitting in the middle of its massive head was a single eye, with which it glared at Trevor and Grant with a terrible malice. The giant raised his hammer again and bared his yellowed teeth.

"Split up!" Trevor cried.

With that, the two men began weaving through the gravestones as the monster gave chase, ducking and dodging to avoid being hit by its hammer. Anything that was unfortunate enough to be in its way was reduced to rubble. The beast pursued Grant first. The nimble pirate dodged each swing by mere inches. It was all he could do to narrowly avoid each deadly strike.

"This thing is really fast Trevor!" Grant cried.

Trevor ran up behind the thing and let fly the Vampire Killer. The whip sped through the air and made contact right in the middle of the monster's back. Any other creature would have been brought to its knees by such a blow, but the giant only turned towards Trevor and gave him an angry look. The young Belmont stepped back.

"His skin is like stone!"

He then ducked just in time to avoid having his head taken off by the hammer. Now Trevor was the one being chased by the beast. Grant watched as he dodged each attack one by one.

"This thing's not too smart. It's only focusing on one of us at a time. I could sneak up on it! But what good would that do? Trevor's whip didn't do a thing to it, but it's got to have some kind of weak point!"

At that moment, the giant slammed his hammer into another statue as he tried yet again to squash Trevor. Dust from the sculpture flew up into the air and into the monster's eye. For a moment it reeled backward and yelled in frustration as it tried to rub the dust out. Once clear, it then resumed its attack. Trevor looked at Grant and the two immediately had the same thought. Trevor continued to draw the thing's attention, taking great care to stay far enough away that he could dodge its hammer. He led the thing to a small collection of statues towards the middle of the yard. It was then Trevor noticed Grant quickly climbing atop one of them. The monster roared again.

"Now! Do it!" Trevor screamed.

Grant then leapt from the statue and onto the giant's back. Wasting no time he worked his way up to its shoulders and pulled his dagger. Then, with all his strength, he shoved the blade as hard as he could into its eye. The beast immediately howled with pain and dropped its hammer as it grabbed its head in pain. Grant fell backward and crashed into the earth below. He wasted no time in getting back to his feet as both men stepped back and watched the beast angrily thrash about, destroying anything it could reach. Black blood oozed out of its wound. The blind and wretched thing lashed about like this for several minutes before finally collapsing to the ground. It then let out a few last pitiful breaths before finally giving up the ghost.

Trevor and Grant looked at each other.

"Are you alright?" Trevor asked.

"I'm fine, just took a little fall. I'm fine though." Grant replied.

They then looked at all the destruction around them. Most of the statues were destroyed and many of the gravestones were now turned over or broken all together.

"What a mess…" Grant commented.

It was then that Trevor noticed the statue of the young lady was still standing. He ran over to it and examined it closely. As far as he could tell no harm had come to it.

"At least this one has suffered no dam-"

Before Trevor could finish his sentence the statue was suddenly enveloped by a blinding light. Both men shielded their eyes and stumbled back. They then heard what sounded like rock breaking and falling to the ground. When the light finally disappeared, they uncovered their eyes and looked.

"What in the name of Heaven?" Trevor uttered, his eyes wide with shock.

"I don't believe it…" Grant responded.

In the place of the statue of the young lady now stood…

…an actual young lady!

Trevor and Grant were both so stunned by what had just happened they almost didn't notice her starting to lose her balance. Trevor rushed forward and caught the girl just as she was about to collapse to the ground. Gently, he helped her down off the pedestal to the ground below.

"What just happened!? Did the statue just change into a real girl!?" Grant said.

"It certainly appears so!" Trevor replied. "Although I am as lost as to how as you are!"

Grant's observation certainly seemed to be true. This woman was dressed in exactly the same attire as the statue had been previously. Every detail was exactly the same.

Trevor could hear her struggling to breathe. He helped her sit up and placed his arm behind her for support.

"Everything's alright now. Are you okay? Are you hurt?" he asked.

The girl took another couple of breaths before answering. "I am fine. Thank you. You and your friend have done more for me than I will ever be able to repay you for."

"We are glad to help. What is your name?" Trevor asked.

The young lady reached up with her hands and gently pulled back her hood.

And Trevor Belmont suddenly felt his heart skip a beat.

Out from underneath the covering emerged golden blonde hair that shined like the sun. Even in the darkness of night it seemed radiant. Her skin was fair and smooth, and her eyes were as deeply blue as the ocean itself. She then looked at him and smiled warmly.

"My name is Sypha Belnades.

**End of Chapter 6**


	7. Memories of Days Gone Bye

**Castlevania: Dracula's Curse**

Chapter 7: Memories of Days Gone By

Trevor was so awestruck by the beauty of the young lady in front of him that for a moment he completely forgot she had just introduced herself. Grant smirked as he noticed his friend's predicament and decided it would be best if he stepped in.

"I am Grant Danasty, but you may call me Grant. A pleasure to meet you." he said, bowing slightly. Sypha smiled at him and nodded.

"Thank you again." she said.

Grant then took his foot and slightly kicked Trevor in the backside, snapping him out of the trance he had been put into. Trevor blinked for a moment and then came to his senses.

"And I am Trevor Belmont but please call me Trevor." he finally spoke.

"I thank you as well Trevor." Sypha replied.

Trevor then helped her to her feet and made sure to keep a hand on her until he was sure she had her balance. Sypha swept the dirt and rock off her clothes and adjusted her cloak.

"That's much better!" she declared.

Trevor retrieved her staff off the ground and handed it to her.

"If you do not mind my asking, how did this happen to you?" he inquired.

Sypha sighed and looked away for a moment.

"It is a long story and I fear now would not be a good time to tell it, not with monsters roaming around." she answered.

"It must have been something pretty terrible to turn you into a statue like that." Grant said.

"Indeed." Sypha replied. "Terrible is not the word for it. Let me ask you this, have you by chance heard of a man called Dracula?"

Trevor and Grant shot a look at each other and then back at Sypha.

"Yes, in fact Grant and I are hunting Dracula right now. We believe that he is the one that is responsible for all that has happened tonight." Trevor said.

Sypha nodded in affirmation.

"You are correct in your belief. Dracula is responsible for all of this. I know because I have encountered him face to face."

A look of shock appeared on the faces of both men.

"When did you encounter Dracula?" Grant asked.

"As I said it is a long story. I will tell you all of it though on one condition: You allow me to join you in your hunt."

Grant and Trevor looked at each other in disbelief.

"I am sorry but I cannot allow that." Trevor answered. "I could not endanger your life by bringing you with us."

Sypha then glared at him, as if she were offended by his last statement.

"I doubt that you will have to worry much about me. I can take care of myself." she remarked.

"My lady, I mean no disrespect, but you don't look like you could last long against anyone in a fight." Grant said.

Sypha turned toward him and gave him a look that made him suddenly very afraid. She then stuck out her hand and turned her palm upward.

"What in God's name!"

Trevor backed away as he saw Sypha's calm blue eyes suddenly become as red as fire. Then the air above her hand erupted into flame and took the shape of a large ball of fire. She then hurled the ball towards a chunk of broken statue which promptly exploded into tiny pieces. Her eyes then returned to their natural blue color as she looked once again at Trevor and Grant.

"Now do you believe that I can protect myself? I think that you would find my talents most useful in the battle to come."

"Are you a witch?" Grant asked.

"No, but I do have abilities that some call witchcraft." Sypha responded.

Sypha then turned to Trevor.

"What do you say Trevor? May I join you?"

Trevor gazed at her, his eyes seemingly searching her very soul. Already his perception of this young woman had been completely changed. What other secrets did she hold?

"You seek to destroy Dracula?" he asked.

"Yes." she simply replied.

Trevor nodded and then became quiet. He stared at the ground for a moment before finally speaking again.

"It seems we have a common goal then. I do not understand your power but I would certainly rather you be our ally than otherwise. Please join us in our hunt."

Sypha smiled at him and a look that seemed like relief appeared in her eyes.

"Thank you."

With that the group, now a trio, continued on their journey east.

* * *

Dracula had moved out onto the balcony of his keep once again. He gazed out over the land before him, taking in the sight of the smoke and flame that billowed up from all around. Instead of delighting in the fact that his war against humanity was off to a rather successful start however, he found that his mind was focused on something else.

Something deep in his past.

_Someone_ deep in his past.

The vampire closed his eyes as memories came roaring up within his mind…

_Mathias took a deep breath. The air that flowed through his nostrils had never smelled so sweet or felt so satisfying in his lungs. He had been reborn, or rather, recreated. No longer was he a weak and pathetic human, but now a powerful and immortal vampire._

"_Excellent…I never spent a better night." he declared._

_He focused his eyes on the man standing not far in front of him. He gazed at Mathias with an expression that was a mixture of extreme shock and confusion._

"_Mathias!" uttered Leon Belmont._

_Mathias gave a sly smile._

"_You didn't disappoint me, Leon, I knew without a doubt that you would accomplish this."_

_Leon's eyes showed a great concern._

"_What is the meaning of this?" he asked._

"_I needed a powerful vampire's soul. That is all." Mathias stated._

_Leon did not want to believe what he now knew to be true._

"_Are you saying you used me?"_

"_Not just you. Your betrothed, Sara, Rinaldo, and Walter... I used all of you. I never thought it would go so well, though." Mathias answered._

_Leon then noticed the stone that hung from a chain around Mathias's neck._

"_Is that - that stone... the Crimson Stone?"_

_Mathias gently touched the object and grinned again._

"_Ah, you know it? I'm impressed. I made Walter's soul mine with the power of this stone."_

_Leon then looked down at the whip that hung from his side._

"_I sense a rage from this whip…" he said._

_Mathias watched as Leon began to comprehend the meaning of this. The young Belmont slowly raised his head and gazed at his old friend, his eyes alive with an amalgam of horror and betrayal._

"_Mathias! You abandoned humanity?"_

"_That's right!" Mathias replied, his voice now filled with disdain. "By becoming a vampire, I obtained eternal life. That was my goal. It was my revenge against God!"_

_Leon's words were now thick with disbelief._

"_Revenge against God?"_

_Mathias continued to rage._

"_We have risked our lives and fought for the sake of God... But God mercilessly stole away the one I loved most... When all I ever wished for was Elisabetha's safety! If limited life is God's decree, then I shall defy it! And within that eternity, I shall curse Him forevermore!"_

_Leon's head sank and a great sadness was now evident in his eyes._

"_Mathias…" he said pitifully._

_Mathias stepped towards him._

"_Leon, after what you've been through, you should know..." he appealed._

_Leon nodded._

"_Yes, you're right. I do understand how you feel... I, too..."_

"_Then come with me. I will give you eternity, too." Mathias continued._

_The look on Leon's face suddenly began to shift from one of great pity and sorrow to one of anger._

"_You wretched fool."_

_Mathias stepped back in shock._

"_What?"_

"_Is this what the woman you loved would have wanted? The Mathias I know would not have loved such a woman." Leon rebuked._

_Mathias looked down as though he were considering Leon's words._

"_Elisabetha was a kind honorable woman. She was concerned only for me to the very end... That is why I hate Him! Am I wrong? Did you not defeat Walter with hatred in your heart, too?" he accused._

"_Yes. I'd be lying if I claimed otherwise." Leon admitted. "But defeating him... no, preventing others from suffering the same cursed fate... that was Sara's dying wish. Granting my beloved's wish… that is all I can do to prove my love to Sara. Eternity without her would be nothing but emptiness."_

_Mathias looked down again, disappointed by Leon's reply._

"_Leon... I thought that you would understand... "_

_He then looked up at one of the windows._

"_Dawn is coming... Farewell, Leon." _

_He then turned his head towards the terrible phantasm that hovered behind him._

"_Death, he's all yours."_

_With those words Mathias for the first time used his vampiric power to transform into a bat. He then flew through the air and out the open window._

"_Stop!" Leon shouted._

_Mathias ignored his former friend's plea though and continued on his way, confident that Death would be able to put an end to Leon Belmont's life._

Dracula sighed as he opened his eyes and looked out once again over the countryside. It would be later on that he would find out that Death had failed to stop Leon. In fact, Leon not only banished the foul spirit but gave him a message to deliver to his master as well.

"_You have become a cursed being and I will never forgive you. This whip and my kinsmen will destroy you someday. From this day on, the Belmont Clan will hunt the night!"_

In the whole of his existence as Lord of the Vampires there had only been one man that Dracula truly feared: Leon Belmont. Now, just as Leon had promised, the whip, that Vampire Killer whip, and his kinsmen were searching for their sworn enemy and their goal was nothing less than his complete and total destruction.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Sypha asked.

"A cave to the east. It'll take us to an underground entrance into the tower with the other bridge. We're going to use it to get into the castle."

"I see." Sypha responded.

Trevor then turned towards her to ask the question that had been on both his and Grant's mind.

"Tell us, how did you obtain your power? If you are not a witch then how do you control fire like you do?"

Sypha at first seemed reluctant to answer. She sighed deeply but then looked up at him and spoke.

"When I was only an infant I was left at the doorstep of a convent. There was no note, no explanation of any kind left with me. The sisters tell me that all they found was a basket containing a crying child. They took me in and decided that they would raise me as one of their own. I would grow up living the life of a nun….or at least that was their intention for me. However, it seems that God, or perhaps the Devil, had other plans for me. One day, when I was only four years old, I fell and scraped my knee on the floor during morning prayers. I cried out in pain and anger. The sister that was watching over me ran to help me up. Suddenly, without any warning, fire appeared out of thin air and engulfed her. Thankfully, the other sisters were able to put out the flames with a bucket of water. Unfortunately, she was burned badly and would suffer from her injuries for the rest of her life. The sisters would not have known what had caused the fire were it not for the fact that they saw my eyes."

"They were the color of fire weren't they?" Trevor said.

"Yes." Sypha answered. "They saw my eyes glowing like they themselves were burning. They had a meeting shortly after to decide what to do with me. Some of them wanted to cast me out immediately. There was even a small group that said I should be executed right then and there, believing me to be possessed of demons. However, I was fortunate that there were some that spoke up for me. Mother Francine would take charge of me as well as responsibility for any further damage I might do. She reasoned it was better for me to be raised and learn about my power in the house of God rather than out among the heathen world."

"That was very kind of her." Grant interjected.

Sypha then laughed quietly and looked at Grant, a sad smile on her face.

"Mother Francine watched over me for several years until I became an adult. She worked alongside me, prayed with me, and tried to help me comprehend my abilities daily. It was through her counsel that I discovered that I could control more than just fire. Ice and lightning would also obey my commands. I believed that Mother Francine would help me gain total mastery over my powers, even though we were never able to discover where they come from. Then one night…one night I was asleep and had a nightmare. Mother Francine heard me scream in my sleep and tried to wake me. I was so startled when she put her hands on me that I set her on fire without even thinking about it. By the time I realized what I had done it was too late. The other sisters then ran in and saw what happened. There was no meeting this time. I was told to leave and never come back. I did not argue with them. Her blood is on my hands."

"You didn't intend to kill her though. You can't blame yourself for that." Trevor said, trying to be comforting.

"Thank you, but the fact remains that she died because of what I did." Sypha lamented.

"So where did you go after you left the convent?" Grant asked.

Sypha answered "I traveled and tried to carve out a living wherever I could, but no matter where I went there was always the fear that I would somehow hurt someone or destroy their property, even though I would never harm anyone of my own accord. Somehow word had gotten around about me. People talked about a convent not far away that was housing a witch that could control the elements and that she had killed one of the sisters and ran away. I lived every day in fear that I would be found out and chased out of town or even killed. Then one day the village that I was living in at the time was attacked by Dracula. I thought that this might be a chance for me to redeem myself, to use my power for good for once. I challenged Dracula and tried to defeat him but I was nowhere near powerful enough. He quickly overcame me and to mock me further transformed me into the statue you saw earlier. Even though my body was made of stone I could still see and hear everything going on around me."

Sypha then stopped walking and turned to Trevor.

"I…I don't know why, but when you came I somehow knew that you would be able to help me. There have been others that have approached my statue, but you were the first one that I was ever able to communicate with. When you placed your hand on my face I knew you would hear my words."

Sypha then reached out and embraced the young Belmont.

"Thank you."

Trevor found himself at a loss for words. His mind was too busy dealing with the elation caused by the girl's hug to form any sort of vocal response. Grant, meanwhile, only looked at Trevor with raised eyebrows. Trevor noticed his friend's expression.

"She likes you!" he saw Grant mouth silently.

Trevor tried to hide his blushing face as Grant only snickered.

Sypha then released her embrace.

"You're…you're welcome." Trevor finally stammered. "I know what it's like to be hated by others just because of who you are. People are afraid of my family because of what we can do. Some think that we are just as bad, if not worse, than the monsters that we fight. Still, we continue to fight because it is what we are called to do."

For a moment the two of them just stood there looking at each other, no actual words coming out of their mouths but plenty being spoken with their eyes. It was then Grant loudly cleared his throat and brought them back into reality.

"Pardon me, but we need to get moving if we can. The cave isn't much further from here and I feel quite confident that Dracula knows what we have in mind."

The other two turned back towards the path and nodded in agreement.

"Right, let's get moving!" Sypha said.

As they continued on their way Grant looked back at Trevor and grinned. He then once more silently mouthed "She likes you!"


	8. The Tragic Prince

**Castlevania: Dracula's Curse**

**Chapter 8 – The Tragic Prince**

The mouth of the cave was quite small. A person walking by might not even pay any attention to it if they weren't actually looking for it. Trevor found himself wondering how difficult it would be for him and two others to navigate such a small space and also deal with Dracula's minions.

Upon arriving at the cave, Trevor began searching the ground around them.

"What are you looking for?" Sypha asked.

"Something we can use as a torch. I do not look forward to stumbling around in the dark." he replied.

"There's no need." Sypha replied. "I can provide all the light we will need."

She then held out her hand and created a ball of flame that hovered in the air in front of her. With a slight push she sent it forward until it entered the cave, dispelling any darkness that had previously been there.

Sypha turned to the two men and grinned.

"I think this will do nicely." she said happily.

Trevor and Grant looked at each other and grinned as well.

"My lady you have already more than proved your worth." Grant laughed.

"Indeed you have." Trevor added.

Sypha then led the way as the three of them carefully entered the opening in the hillside. The men kept their hands at their weapons while Sypha's eyes carefully watched as the ball of flame flickered in front of them. For the moment, all they could hear was the sound of dripping water as it hit against the rocky terrain. They continued to push forward for a while until they were deep inside the cave.

"How far does this cave go?" Sypha asked.

"I wish I knew exactly." Grant replied. "All I know is that it eventually connects to the underground entrance. We just need to keep going."

There was no deviation in the path they trod until they finally came upon a large circular room at the end. Sypha pushed the ball of fire forward until it lit up the entire area.

"What is this place?" Trevor wondered aloud.

"I'm not really sure…" Grant replied.

Strewn about all over the floor of the place were numerous skeletons and rotting corpses. The three hunters slowly stepped out amongst the pile of dead, carefully watching for any sign of danger.

"I don't like this at all." Sypha said.

"I agree. Something feels very wrong about this." Trevor replied.

Directly across from them on the opposite side of the room was a wooden door that was built into the rock.

"Let's hurry up and get out of here." Grant echoed.

However, the moment the group set foot in the middle of the circle a loud cry rang out from behind them. Trevor spun around to see that one of the corpses had risen up and was rushing towards him. He immediately swung the Vampire Killer and sent the body crashing back to the ground. Just then other corpses and skeletons began to rise up and make their way towards them as well.

"We're trapped!" Grant shouted.

"We have no choice! We have to fight!" Trevor shouted back.

"Then let me go first!" Sypha said.

Sypha's eyes changed to a brilliant white in color as energy began to build in her hands. Trevor and Grant watched in amazement as electricity snapped and popped in the air around her. Then, in one rapid motion, she thrust her hands out and arcs of electrical power raced through the air and blasted their targets into ashes. The men shielded their eyes from the blinding flash that filled the room. In one instant nearly half the undead that had risen up were destroyed. The creatures that remained fell back for a moment in both fear and great confusion.

Trevor looked up to see Sypha drop to a knee, clutching her chest.

"Sypha!"

He raced over to her and knelt beside her.

"Are you alright!" he said, visibly alarmed.

"I'm fine…" she breathed. "That one…takes a lot out of me…"

"Trevor! They're coming back!" Grant cried.

Trevor looked up to see Grant slashing at approaching zombies with his dagger with more quickly drawing near. Trevor rose and let fly the Vampire Killer. The weapon whistled as it tore through the air and struck down whatever it touched. The two men fought doggedly to protect Sypha as she recovered her strength.

Grant found himself struggling to bring down the skeletons with just his dagger. It was, after all, a weapon made for splitting flesh and not bone. As the reanimated creatures threatened to overtake him he looked down to see a large rock lying on the ground. He quickly yanked his bandana off his head and wrapped the rock up inside it. Then, holding the bandana by its ends, he swung it towards the skeletons, using the rock inside to shatter their skulls. He managed to fell several but more were quickly approaching.

Sypha struggled to her feet as she watched the men fight.

"I have the power to end this!"

She took a deep breath and raised her hands.

"Trevor! Grant! Duck!"

The men knew what was about to happen. They immediately dove to the ground as fire swept through the room from Sypha's fingers and engulfed the remaining dead. The monsters fell to the ground as their rotting flesh burned to a blackened crisp. Trevor then jumped back to his feet and ran over to Sypha.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

The young lady started to answer but instead only fell against him as she tried to maintain her balance. After a few moments she was able to right herself and wiped the sweat from her face.

"I exhausted myself with that last burst." she breathed. "Thank you, both of you, for protecting me."

Grant was on his feet as well and brushing the dust off his clothes.

"You can thank us later. Right now, let's get moving and leave this cursed place behind!"

Trevor and Sypha sounded their agreement and the trio quickly moved to the doorway and exited the battleground. Sypha again produced a ball of flame to light the way for them. Once it had begun to burn the group found that they were now standing in what appeared to be a long and narrow row of catacombs.

"I like this place even less! There's even more corpses in here!" Grant said.

"Let's just keep going. Perhaps we can keep avoid attracting any further attention to ourselves." Trevor said.

They moved as quickly as possible, hoping that they would soon be free from this lair of the dead. After a few minutes of wandering down the long rows of bodies they finally came to a small stairway and another door.

"At last we are free of this place." Sypha commented.

They opened the door and quickly stepped through. The room they entered into was vast and old. The ceiling seemed to be barely holding together and already there was a gaping hole in it that allowed a wide ray of moonlight to pour through. Trevor and his friends glanced around, their eyes first searching for any sign of danger. The place seemed strangely empty, a welcome change from the area they had just left only moments ago. All they could seem to find were the remains of old furniture. Broken tables and chairs littered the floor and the only other object of interest was a single stairway that led up to a door.

It was upon noticing these stairs that Trevor saw him. His eyes grew wide and he even instinctively reached for his whip when his sight fell upon the ghostly looking figure. Grant and Sypha then looked up and noticed him as well. Standing at the top of the stairs was what appeared to be a man. He was tall, with long flowing white hair that fell down over his shoulders. He was dressed in elegant attire. He had on a white shirt with a black jacket lined with golden thread. He wore black pants and black boots covered his feet. The ensemble was topped off with a full length black cape that covered his back.

Trevor then looked at the man's face and eyes. His skin was pale, almost white, so much so that the flooding moonlight made him glow with an otherworldy aura. His eyes were not much different. They were pale as well and with them he glared down at these three intruders with a seemingly suspicious look.

Trevor cautiously approached him.

"I am Trevor Belmont and these are my companions, Grant Danasty and Sypha Belnades. Who are you?"

The man began descending the stairs.

"I am called Alucard." he answered. "Tell me, are you of the Belmont clan of vampire hunters?"

Trevor wasn't surprised at that question. His family's reputation had spread far and wide.

"Yes I am. My allies and I are hunting a vampire right now."

Alucard spoke again.

"Then I was correct in my assumption. I have been watching you ever since you left the clock tower. I was hoping that you were indeed of the Belmont clan of hunters."

"You were watching us?" Trevor said, now a bit suspicious. "Who are you exactly?"

"Alucard is not my birth name. However, I forsook my given name when my father chose to descend into madness and begin this unholy crusade. That is the reason that you are here right now, is it not?"

The three hunters looked at each other and then back at Alucard.

"Yes, but…you're saying….your father is Dracula?" Sypha said.

Alucard's eyes narrowed.

"Your presumption is correct. I am the son of Dracula, the product of the union between a human woman and a vampire father."

For a moment Trevor, Grant, and Sypha stood frozen in amazement. Could he possibly be telling the truth? Could someone responsible for so much death and destruction possibly have a child? What sort of woman would bear the child of Dracula?

"That would mean…you are…half-human and half vampire…" Trevor said, almost in total disbelief.

"What did you mean when you said you forsook your given name?" Grant finally asked.

"My father was not always the man that he is now. At one time he actually held some good in his heart and did not seek to hurt others around him. However, one day my mother and I traveled to a village near our home to buy food. While we were there a horse became frightened and fell over on its rider. He was seriously injured and near death. My mother then used a potion infused with magical energy that my father had showed her how to make to restore the man's health. The villagers were both amazed and scared of her. When my mother revealed that it was a potion she had given the man they began to accuse her of witchcraft. It was then revealed that her husband, my father, was a vampire. They then immediately seized us and burned my mother at the stake. I was going to be next but I managed to escape. I told my father what happened…and he immediately slaughtered them all."

Alucard looked away as he finished speaking. Even to this day recalling the memories of that terrible night were painful. He continued his story a moment later.

"After that, my father was forever changed. There was no longer any kindness in his eyes. The spark of love that my mother had put in him was gone completely. There was now only rage and contempt. He vowed that he would murder each and every human on this earth as an act of revenge for the death of my mother."

"What about you?" Sypha asked. "It sounds like you don't see things your father's way."

Alucard nodded slightly.

"My mother's dying wish was for me to not hate humans. She was human. To hate them would be to hate her as well and I could never do that. My father, however, does not agree with me. From the moment my mother died, my father began trying to make me like him. I was taught that humans were filthy and vile things that needed to made to suffer for their ignorance. He sought to raise up anger within me for my mother's death. However, no matter how hard he tried, I could never forget my mother's wish. Eventually, I could no longer stand my father's evil and I fled from him. Now, he has come here to carry out his eradication of humanity. He must be stopped no matter the cost. I have taken the name 'Alucard' because it is the reverse of my father's name, which is exactly what I seek to be."

"It seems that we have the same goal then." Trevor said.

Alucard turned his eyes toward him.

"Yes, we do…..and it is for that reason that you must face me."

Suddenly Alucard reached down to his left side and pulled out a sword that had been hidden beneath his cape. Trevor jumped back in surprise.

"What are you doing!" Trevor shouted.

Alucard raised his sword and pointed it at Trevor.

"Legends of the strength of the Belmont clan have spread far and wide. I have heard of the power your family possesses. Man, beast, and apparition alike fear you. I must know for sure that the power spoken of in those legends is real. I must also tell you this: Your family was set upon its course by your ancestor Leon Belmont, a man who was at one time the closest friend of my father."

Trevor's eyes grew wide with shock. Grant and Sypha looked at him, similar expressions on their faces. Trevor knew his family's history very well. It was the last part of what Alucard had said that struck him so.

"What are you saying?" Trevor asked.

"Dracula is not my father's real name. You have heard the true name of my father before, Belmont. His name is spoken among your family unceasingly and it is because of him that you are bound to the fate that you are."

Trevor's heart was pounding against his chest. A name was on the tip of his tongue, a name that, like Alucard had said, had been spoken among his family for generations. This name was the focus of all their efforts, all their training, all of their pain. This person was the one that they searched for so fervently and the one that was responsible for all the terrible fighting and suffering that they were forced to endure. Could it be that he, Trevor Belmont, had found his true enemy at last?

Trevor's voice stammered as he asked the question.

"Your father…your father…Mathias Cronqvist?"

Alucard only spoke one word.

"Yes."

Without any hesitation, Trevor pulled the Vampire Killer from his side and cracked it with such fury that his friends covered their ears from the sound. The whip itself gave off an incredible aura of power, so intense that it was actually visible to the naked eye.

"So it is the power of a Belmont that you wish to see?" Trevor asked.

"Yes. I must know for certain that you possess the power to defeat my father. Therefore, you will face me in combat. Your friends are forbidden from interfering. We shall fight until one of us is clearly beaten."

"Trevor! This is madness!" Sypha protested.

"Stay back. Both of you." was his only reply.

Grant grabbed Sypha and pulled her back.

"I don't like this either, but I get the feeling Trevor's mind is made up. If that guy is really the son of Dracua, or Mathias, or whatever his name is, then you can bet this will get ugly."

Grant and Sypha then watched as Trevor and Alucard moved to the center of the room and adopted fighting stances.

"Are you ready Belmont?" Alucard called.

"Ready!" Trevor shouted back.

Alucard's eyes turned a shining red and suddenly he was charging towards Trevor with blinding speed.

"Then let us begin!"


	9. Opposing Bloodlines

**Castlevania: Dracula's Curse**

**Chapter 9 - Opposing Bloodlines**

"I…I don't believe what I'm seeing…"

Grants words were almost inaudible as he beheld the sight of the battle that was taking place before him. Sypha did not speak at all. She only looked on with an ever growing anxiousness. She felt her heart jump every time the dhampir's blade came close to Trevor's flesh.

_Be careful Trevor…please…_

Both of them knew that they were not witnessing any ordinary duel. This was not a struggle between two men, but more like a war between two forces of nature. On one side was the Belmont lineage and on the other the accursed blood of the vampire. Both were extremely powerful and determined to defeat their enemy.

Any normal man would have fallen to Trevor quickly, but Alucard's inhuman speed and strength more than bridged the gap between them. Skill was not a weakness for him either though, as he was more than adequately trained in the use of a sword. As they fought the room seemed to shake around them. Grant and Sypha watched as dust and timbers rattled and threatened to collapse on them from above.

"If this keeps up they're going to bring the roof down on us!" Grant said.

Sypha gave no response, vocal or otherwise. Her attention was locked on the battle before her.

Finally she found the nerve to speak.

"Why are they doing this? What's the point? What are they trying to prove? Shouldn't we be working together?" she cried frantically.

Grant sighed.

"I understand what you mean Sypha, but Alucard wants to know for sure, without question, that Trevor's strength and resolve are enough to kill Dracula. I don't think he's willing to take a chance on anyone he doesn't have complete faith in."

"So he gains that faith by trying to kill him!" she responded. "How stupid!"

Grant frowned.

"I know you don't understand it, and I don't expect you to. I think I get Alucard's reasoning though. He figures that if Trevor can't beat him then there's no way he'll be able to defeat Dracula. Let's just hope he does though…there will be consequences if Trevor loses..."

Sypha looked at Grant and then back at the two warriors doing battle.

"If he doesn't…then Alucard will…."

Her voice trailed off and she continued to stare at the conflict, horror growing in her eyes.

Trevor grit his teeth as he swung the whip again, just barely missing his intended target.

_I've never seen speed like this! It's like he's a ghost! He's there one moment and then gone the next! This dhampir is truly a sight to behold!_

While Trevor found himself in awe of his opponent, he did not realize that his enemy was doing the same. Alucard swung his blade in a wide arc, trying to slice Trevor's throat in two. The Belmont quickly jerked back though, bending backward just enough to avoid the blade. He then rose up and in one motion threw a punch Alucard avoided by only a fraction of an inch.

_Truly this man has no equal among mortals. His perfect technique and sheer physical prowess cause me to question whether or not he truly is human._

The punch was followed by another series of attacks. As a Belmont, Trevor had been trained in numerous styles of combat, many that did not even originate from his native land. Alucard ducked and dodged as Trevor launched a flurry of kicks toward him that would have shattered his bones on impact.

The two continued battling this way for some time; matching each other attack for attack, with neither man truly gaining an advantage over the other. They finally stopped, and for a while only gazed at each other.

"Have you had enough yet?" Trevor said, his voice containing a hint of mockery.

Alucard's eyes narrowed, not at all amused by Trevor's attitude.

"This is far from over, Trevor Belmont."

Suddenly Alucard's body began to contort and change. His limbs stretched and his bones repositioned themselves. His eyes glowed a bright yellow and his teeth took on the form of sharp fangs.

"What's happening to him!" Grant cried.

Trevor watched, but among the three heroes he was the only one not surprised by this.

"Shapeshifting eh? You've decided to fight me in your wolf form?"

Trevor continued to observe as Alucard completed his transformation into a large and powerful wolf. He growled as his muscles tensed, preparing to attack his prey.

Trevor readied himself and tightened his grip on Vampire Killer.

"Know this...it does not matter to me what form you take. You are still a creature of the night...and I am still a Belmont!"

Alucard lunged forward. Trevor dove aside just in time to avoid the dhampir's open jaws. He sprang to his feet and swung his whip. Alucard dodged the weapon barely and made another lunge forward. This time Trevor could not move fast enough and quickly found himself being shoved to the floor by the now beastly Alucard. The monster was on top of him, pinning his shoulders to the floor.

_I can't move! He's using all his strength to hold me down!_

Trevor looked up into the ominous yellow eyes that were staring down at him. Alucard opened his mouth and prepared to sink his teeth into Trevor's neck.

"Nooo!" Sypha screamed. Her eyes flashed red and fire surrounded her hands. Just as she was about to rain balls of flame down upon Alucard, Grant stepped forward and seized her arms.

"Stop it! You can't interfere!" he ordered.

Sypha glared at him, her eyes still red, still burning with rage. Grant was firm though and did not relent. Both of them then looked back at the struggle that was taking place, desperately hoping they were not about to witness their friend's death.

Alucard growled loudly and spewed his hot breath onto Trevor's face.

"You have been a fool Belmont. If you cannot deal with me how can you possibly expect to defeat my father? I will end your life here and -"

Alucard suddenly roared in pain as a glass vial shattered against the side of his face, spilling the liquid that was contained inside all over him. He fell backward and lay on the floor for a moment writhing in pain. Trevor scrambled to his feet.

"Holy Water!" Alucard shouted. "Where? When?"

Trevor answered.

"I always have it with me. Every Belmont keeps some on them at all times. We are never without it. I simply pulled it out of my bag while you were bragging about ending my life."

Alucard righted himself and let out a wrathful roar. Steam was still rising into the air from where the Holy Water had seared his flesh.

"I will not be tricked again like that. This time I will kill you before you even reach the floor!"

Alucard started to charge again, the impact of his paws shaking the room as he moved towards his prey. Just as he leapt into the air, his jaws open and ready to sink into warm flesh, Trevor reached into his bag again. Only this time he did not produce more Holy Water, but a silver cross instead. He held up the cross in front of him and shouted.

"SANCTUS CRUX CRUCIS!"

A blinding white light suddenly appeared from nowhere. Both Sypha and Grant were knocked to their backs as what felt like an explosion ripped through the room. Alucard found himself on the receiving end of a blast of divine energy. The power ripped into him with such force that it stopped him in mid-air and sent him flying back the other way. He slammed into the wall all the way on the other side and slid to the floor. Upon doing so, he immediately reverted back to his normal form.

When the light had finally dissipated, Trevor sighed and then dropped to one knee. He made the sign of the cross over his chest and closed his eyes.

"In nomine Patri, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti..."

He then rose back to his feet and noticed Alucard stumbling to his as well. Trevor watched as the dhampir composed himself before slowly making his way over toward him.

"I have never felt such pain before in my life..." Alucard said.

"Are you now convinced?" Trevor asked.

Alucard was silent for a moment, his eyes gazing out into empty space. He then finally returned them towards Trevor.

"If you can produce similar power such as that against my father, you might stand a chance. So be it then Belmont, I believe you have the ability to defeat Dracula. That said, I would like to join you and your companions to help ensure that he is indeed defeated."

Sypha and Grant had overheard Alucard's statement after getting themselves back on their own feet.

"He wants to join us!" Sypha said in disbelief. "He was trying to kill Trevor only moments ago and now he wants to join with us?"

Grant nodded.

"It seems now he believes in Trevor. Whatever that last attack was that Trevor pulled off, that seemed to be the one that did it."

Sypha looked at him and then over at Trevor.

"That attack...that was divine energy...pure and holy...as if the wrath of God himself came pouring out of that cross..."

Alucard glanced over at them and then back at Trevor.

"What do you say Belmont? Do you accept my aid or not?"

Deep inside, Trevor had reservations about accepting Alucard's help. Whether they had the same goals or not, Alucard was still part vampire. He was also the son of his enemy. How could he know for sure that Alucard would not betray him when it came time to finally do battle with Mathias?

Still...such a powerful ally would be a great boon for their cause...

Trevor turned and walked over to where Sypha and Grant were anxiously watching.

"What are you thinking Trevor?" Grant asked.

"Do you really think we can trust him?" Sypha added.

Trevor was silent. His eyes were directed towards the floor and the expression on his face showed that he was deep in thought.

"Even though letting him join us presents a great risk, we need every ally that we can get. Dracula has many terrible powers working to help him realize his goal. We need every possible advantage we can get. I could end up regretting this later, but I'm going to accept his help."

"Are you sure about this?" Grant asked.

"No..." Trevor replied.

He then turned and walked back toward Alucard.

"I accept your offer. We would welcome your aid."

Alucard nodded.

"It is settled then. Let us waste no more time here. With every minute lost there are more who die needlessly."

With those words the group, now a foursome, made their way out of the dusty room and towards their goal. Trevor still wondered in his heart if he could trust Alucard, the son of his sworn enemy. How devoted was he to stopping Mathias? Would that devotion hold when it counted?

Only time would tell...


End file.
